King of Dragons
by Cassandra Royal
Summary: Kisara Pegasus remembers bits and pieces. Games. Guardians. Golden items. Her life. The others' lives. And she's the only one. Seto Kaiba doesn't. Yugi Muto doesn't. Then the clock starts the day Yami Muto completes the Millennium Puzzle, and the ultimate shadow game begins. Duelist Kingdom through Millennium World retold. Blueshipping
1. Arc I, Prologue: Echoes

**Official** _ **King of Dragons**_ **Summary:**

Kisara remembers bits and pieces. Games. Guardians. Golden items. Her life. The others' lives. And she's the only one. Seto Kaiba doesn't. Yugi Muto doesn't. Then the clock starts the day Yami Muto completes the Millennium Puzzle, drawing three thousand years worth of magic into the present time, and the ultimate shadow game begins. Everyone returns for the final showdown in modern Japan. Five years worth of journeys, disbelief, history, and loves that spanned lifetimes in the making... It all starts now. Duelist Kingdom through Millennium World retold. _Blueshipping_

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 **King of Dragons**

 **Arc I: Duelist Kingdom**

 **Prologue**

 **Echoes**

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 _It is said some lives, are linked across time,_

 _Connected by an ancient calling, that echoes throughout the ages,_

 _Destiny..._

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 _Long ago, when the pyramids were still young, Egyptian kings played a game of great and terrible power, but these 'shadow games' erupted into a war that threatened to destroy the entire world, until a brave and powerful Pharaoh locked the magic away... Imprisoning it within the mystical Millennium Items. Now three thousand years later, on the other side of the world, in modern Japan, a boy named Yami unlocks the secrets of the Millennium Puzzle. He is infused with ancient magical energies, for destiny has chosen him to defend the world from the return of the shadow games, just as the brave Pharaoh did, three thousand years ago…_

.

Kisara Pegasus felt it down to her very bones.

It was an earth shattering echo that ricocheted through her mind in a thunderous tirade of… Of… Of rebirth. Of Revival. Of Renewal. It was a call to the Guardians, a sign that the beginnings of a war meant for immortal powers wielded by mortal hands had started. A shadow game had begun. And quite possibly, the most devastating shadow game to have ever been played within the confines of the human realm…

Something... Something had been triggered. A catalyst. A shot heard around the world. Whether it be across the sea or below the desert sands, it didn't matter. She'd felt it. It'd crashed through her, thrashing and violent. A reminder.

An invitation.

Kisara forced herself to swallow, attempting to regain the oxygen in her lungs. Then flashes raced through her head in an array of memory, bypassing thought and consciousness as traces of events spun in her mind's eye. She panted, shutting her eyes tight and nearly shrieked at the intensity of it all. Without warning, her knees buckled from beneath her, slamming to the cool flooring of her studio with a sickening _crack_. She bit hard down on her tongue, the pain a mere afterthought amidst the storm of emotions. Nothing could be done to deter what was happening.

Fate's weavings had been spun, and she was tangled in the threads, lost to a destiny written by celestial appendages in a time long since past. And she knew it.

A dimension of memory. She'd fallen into Recollection Hall, a metaphysical place in her dreams and daytime fantasies that spared her fragments of an unnamed history that defied all odds. A lifetime in Egypt, the ancient kingdom of the sands. A land where pharaohs ruled and monsters roamed in the darkness. A land where she'd known a man named Seto… Never had she seen so much in a single moment. Seconds trickled into minutes, and soon, the grandfather clock sang baritone gongs to toll the newest hour. The midnight hour. Shadows descended her porcelain tones as the lights went out, and a chill sliced down her spin as a result. White lightning struck in the distance, carving out the sky in sputtering streaks.

But all she saw was fire. Fire and blood and white and blue. A mighty, white dragon towered over the flames, soaring over the cries of the people below. Then a boy, a boy with a bronze profile and piercing azure eyes that told of stories of the greatest adversity. Love. Blue. It connected. A bridge was wedged between her heart and his.

Starcrossed.

It. Him. Her. Everything. It was starcrossed.

A King. A Queen… _What_? Her intellect collided with the indiscernible memories, bombarding one another as the ideas forged themselves into her head without her consent. She screamed as she saw the flames eat away at her vision.

Everything went white.

.

Seto Kaiba felt bile rise in his throat, and he bolted upright in his seat, effectively throttling it away from his person. Tremulously, he stood, absently grasping at the edges of his desk. His vision blurred in and out, and his breathing was erratic in his chest.

A resounding _crack_ swept past his hearing, but the sound was a mere afterthought amid the rattling in his ears. The world was a spinning torrent of colored geometry, only partially visible and clear.

Above, the lights flickered out, and darkness descended upon the KaibaCorp CEO, adorning him in shreds of shadow and chilling discombobulation. It was a stark contrast to his incarnate's abode.

His mind raced.

 _What?_

Echoes from across a void thrashed through him, and all traces of intellectual thought were momentarily forgotten. Pain laced throughout his body, racking him as he clawed at his auburn tresses, keenly unaware of the morbid truth behind these supernatural attacks. What the hell was going on?

A name dawned in the chaos, a hope amongst the gravely departed. White Lightning shattered, and a single image bypast his metaphysical locations. Locks cerulean as the sky, irises gleaming bright as sapphires, skin pale as cloudscape dominions, and a smile luminous as a candle in the midnight hour. In an hour where nothing but a realm of perilous shadow reigned.

She was light personified.

He struggled and grasped at the name that whispered amongst the echoes, then finally, it collided with his heart, an infallible symbol that lept into the confines of eternity.

Kisara.

Everything went black.

Night fell, and he no longer remembered the name that had ignited him so. In the years to come-alongside the greatest achievements he'd ever compel into being-she would be standing there, in all the echoes and lights and every shade of blue known across the vast horizon line.

Then he would look to the golden rod in his hand, and remember.

.

.

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 **King of Dragons**

 **Author's Note:**

 _And today is Seto Kaiba's birthday~! Haha, How about that? October 25th! What a perfect day to publish a story maining revolving around Seto's character development and the trials of the woman who's loved him as long as time itself. It'll certainly be a bumpy ride along the way. Stay tuned! Chapter length will be between 5-10 thousand depending on the chapter, but probably averaged at 7,000._

 _Just saying here, but I'm a huge fan of symbolism in my writing, so pay attention to details revolving things like: blue, black, dark, light, white, dragon, sky, sun, stars, dreams, and gold._

 _This story is related to my other SetoXKisara fic, Queen of Dragons. It's not required reading for this story, but it shapes the world of Ancient Egypt and how things eventually connect in both this time and the last. Bit and pieces will be revealed in later chapters of this story though._

 _Quote at the top is from Disney's Prince of Persia._

 _Inform me of errors please._

 _And review, lovely readers! Constructive criticism is happily read by yours truly._

 _Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


	2. Arc I, Chapter I: The Story Begins

**Official** _ **King of Dragons**_ **Summary:**

Kisara remembers bits and pieces. Games. Guardians. Golden items. Her life. The others' lives. And she's the only one. Seto Kaiba doesn't. Yugi Muto doesn't. Then the clock starts the day Yami Muto completes the Millennium Puzzle, drawing three thousand years worth of magic into the present time, and the ultimate shadow game begins. Everyone returns for the final showdown in modern Japan. Five years worth of journeys, disbelief, history, and loves that spanned lifetimes in the making... It all starts now. Duelist Kingdom through Millennium World retold. _Blueshipping_

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 **King of Dragons**

 **Arc I: Duelist Kingdom**

 **Chapter I**

 **The Story Begins**

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" _Even in the future, the story begins with 'Once upon a time'."_

-Marissa Meyer

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Her breathing was erratic, escaping from her lips in frantic gasps. Time reflected in her mind's eye, memories from a life long since past entrapping her thoughts in a never ending tirade. Games. Guardians. Golden items. Her life. Others' lives. It gleamed and grew, expanding into a grand story meant for the pages of a long-lost fairytale. And everything connected into a grand scheme that bypast her vision and went straight into her nimble hands.

Her paintbrush soared across the canvas, painting out images from a life not quite hers, yet entirely played by her own will. Cerulean hues carved out the sky, whereas vivid, deep browns painted the skin of a man she could almost feel with her thought alone, and porcelain tints contrasted greatly with a woman identical to herself. Together, the two individuals created an effect of of deep importance. They were two opposing elements that made a whole, a rightful correctness, but alone, they meant nothing.

And Kisara knew the other face. It was the face of a man who'd she'd seen several times in her life, and only spoken to once.

Seto Kaiba.

She nearly dropped her paintbrush.

Before all this, before the Echo, she'd briefly glimpsed into Recollection Hall, but until now, she'd merely assumed it was nighttime illusions trying to get the better of her. But now, _now_ it collided with her heart more than ever. She swallowed. What she'd witnessed… It went beyond all possible understanding. The transcendence of time, of space… Reincarnation? She was the reincarnation of an Egyptian-born 'Kisara'? And she—herself in modern America—was watching the life of her… Her…. Her… Her incarnate? And Seto Kaiba had been there, as well?

And was _this_ the reason why she'd always felt an inexplicable notion of care towards him? Why she'd always felt the need to be at his side? She wanted to laugh, but it was a mirthless desire, fueled solely by the pure astonishment of her observations in the past few hours. Or perhaps was it because she'd finally found some form of an explanation about her feelings towards him. She'd never really known Seto Kaiba, and their meetings were so few they could hardly be considered acquaintances, but her emotions remained the same no matter the illogical references behind it. Then again, feelings were never about logic, and neither were Duel Monsters, at least, not especially.

Kisara breathed in and out, wiping her stained cheeks with a spare towel, before tucking it away to be cleaned. As she turned away from her newest addition from her 'untitled collection'—consisting of thirty or so paintings revolving around her past life—she fled the studio. The world she'd been recreating for the past twelve years would still be there when she returned, but she did spare the most recent image a glance.

How in all time that scene had ever occurred would be a constant question in her mind for the next several weeks, until the rise of Duelist Kingdom, in fact.

A bittersweet smile stained her lips.

In the image was indeed of Seto and herself, but what made the painting—a better word for it would be _memory—_ so horribly ironic and almost unbelievable, was the fact that their lips were a mesh of flesh, entwined and fighting for control of a passionately deep kiss. Tears spilled from her incarnate's eyes, and the two were locked in such an intimate position that defined their relationship as lovers…

What had happened back then to drive them to such closeness? But another question tugged at Kisara's mind.

Was she the only one that remembered this 'other' life?

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Seto Kaiba had to force himself to read the words on the page. His brow twitched in irritation, the characters scrambling in his mind as he scarcely discerned their meaning. However, this method proved pointless as he had to reread the paragraph several times without ever digesting the just of what occurred. He was getting vividly annoyed by this point. Just how many times would he have to read this damn page?! He very nearly threw the book across the classroom.

He was in desperate need of a distraction.

His head was still ringing from an echoing migraine the previous night, and his thoughts kept swerving towards something _not there_. Something of the faintest blue, almost opalescent in nature. But what? His own Blue Eyes was the closest thing he knew of relevance to what remained on the fringes of his mind, but she didn't connect to what he-

He'd just referred to his Blue Eyes as a _she_. His blood froze.

 _Why_?

He repressed a groan, that echoing returning full force. Pain coursed through his very bones, and he clutched at his forehead. What the hell was happening to him?

 _Seto!_

Huh? He knew that voice, but why? How? He was beyond frustrated, lost in something just _not there_. He wanted to growl at the pure impossibility of it, but there was something in the far reaches of his knowledge-

"Kaiba?"

He was taken back into the present all in one moment, the ringing not longer existent. Time continued, and his breathing regulated. His vision found Yugi Muto and his group of miscreants staring at him with a look similar to worry.

"What?" he found himself snapping.

Yugi visibly flinched at his tone. "A-Are you alright? You seem a little—"

"I'm _fine_ ," he bit out, and by some compelling, he added waspishly, "And either way, my wellbeing is none of your concern, Yugi."

He noticed Jonouchi Katsuya stand up from his chair, probably for some fight he would never win. "Hey, Kaiba ya can't talk to him like dat—"

"Jou," another warned, stepping into the picture for the first time. "That's enough."

Seto focused his attention on the elder Muto. He was a man who had remained a figure in the background, another shadow amongst the irrelevant others in his life thus far, but there was a spark of recognition that passed between them in that moment.

Situated to the left of his younger sibling, Yami Muto watched Seto with trained collection, vivid crimson eyes seeming to search into his soul. His very word had cooled the waters with the authority of a practiced leader, calm and calculating and intelligent. And there was something was hidden behind that ease, Seto knew, something beyond simple understanding. Unbidden, a spike of familiarity shot through him, but he pushed the idea away.

He returned to staring blankly into the pages of his book in some attempt to redeem his already fractured sense of calm. He was bordering on near panic because of that resonating echo. He was anxious and uncharacteristically restless—

"Anyway, guys, what were we saying?" Yugi asked.

"Uh…" Jou scratched the back of his head. "I think it was 'bout how ya we're goin' to show us dis' card or somethin'."

Seto's lips thinned. Couldn't they be _quiet_ for a change?

"Yeah!" a girl named Anzu Mazaki agreed. "You said it was pretty rare!"

Seto paused.

"Oh, yeah! It's our Grandfather's favorite card! Isn't that right, Yami?"

Yami hmphed, "It is _very_ rare, in fact. As such, he practically never lets it leave his sight." There was a hint of humor in his otherwise impassive tones.

 _Rare card? Could they have found the rare card I've been searching for?_

For years he'd been in near constant search to assemble the remaining Blue Eyes White Dragon cards not in his deck, traveling across continents and countries to retrieve what he coveted so dearly. He'd used nearly every _business tactic_ he knew to get them in his possession, but the last, the fourth Blue Eyes, had eluded him the longest. Two years actually. The rest he'd found within a year's timespan of each other, but now… Could it be? And was it really so simple? Within Domino City of all places…

 _Well, now_ , he thought darkly. _How perfect_.

When he smiled, there was no hint of light in his expression, rather it was bred out of much darker intentions.

.

He'd done what needed to be done, no matter the cost, but Seto barely had the heart to care. Not really. He'd done what he knew was right. This card was his own now, but what happened to it afterwards… Well, it really didn't require his concern, so long as it could no longer be used against him.

And that was all that mattered.

The ding of an elevator alerted him that the midget twins had arrived. Perfect timing then, the old runt was already sputtering on the floor, probably halfway to a heart attack by now. But his attention was averted elsewhere, and a smirk grew on his lips. Yami was the twin he knew that wouldn't let this transgression go easily, whereas little Yugi would waste his time questioning his 'immoral' objectives. Better to go after the weak link first and deal with the repercussions later.

"Grandpa!" Yugi wailed, racing towards the old fool, and all but crash landing beside him, graceless. Yami and his ever-so-loyal companions were at his side in a moment, the elder Muto kneeling beside his grandfather, his concern evident. "A-Are you okay?"

"Are you alright?" Yami asked, this time quieter, but more defining.

 _Oh yeah, he's perfectly fine. Don't you see? That's why he's on the floor like a blubbering wreck._

"Y-Yugi..." he managed. "Y-Yami…" So the man could speak. Lovely. If only his grandsons had seen him moments ago, when he'd been spewing nonsense about the Heart of the Cards even as he stared into the lifelike projections Seto had created, terrified. Ridiculous. Cards were all about power, nothing more, and add in that ludicrous notion that the monsters themselves were _alive_? Senile old man. Duel Monsters was a game.

But his sarcastic nature was upturned as his name was bellowed through the hall by one none other than Yami Muto. Seto found himself to be rather amused by that unearthly rage. _Ah, so there is a Muto with a little fire._

He decided to spare them his pleasantries, no matter how rhetorical. "So how's the old man feeling, hmm?"

"Kaiba, you sleaze!" It was that Jonouchi again, and Seto had the inkling that his personality was reminiscent of a pathetic dog, dragging himself where he wasn't wanted. "What have you done to him?"

He raised a brow. What did it look like he'd done? Nothing personal, at least. It would've been far worse had it been, but this was merely about quenching an unrelenting _crave_. In these cards his wretched heart found solace, if only for a short while.

Seto enlightened them, "We had a duel, that's all, with each of us putting up our most valuable card as the prize. But..." He shrugged. "I guess playing against the King of Dragons was was just too much stimulation for the old fool." His reigning title, shared with only the most powerful female duelist in the world, was apart of his very name. Only Kisara Pegasus rivaled him, the pretty blunette from America whom he'd met, but never cared to consider personally. She would probably rally behind these destitutes for what he'd done, not that it mattered. But what could she do? After all, he'd beaten her before.

"Kaiba!" The girl of their group, Mazaki, glared him down, pointing a finger at him. A _finger_. As if she had the power to damn him with it. What hilarity. "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

 _That's highly unlikely._ He almost scoffed at her attempts to draw out his compassion, but refrained. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders, apathetic. "It was fair," he stated, snaking a hand into his pocket. "And look at the prize I won." He pulled out the last Blue Eyes not in his deck, displaying it for all to see. The motley crew was on the tips of their toes.

To the immortals hidden in the shadows, they observed this scene with growing trepidation, aware that one of their own would disappear forever more, and by the reincarnation of her one true master. It would be a tragedy that would haunt the Dominion of Dragons long into the following centuries. There would only be three left…

And Seto Kaiba tore the Blue Eyes White Dragon in half. The pieces descended, akin to the fallen scales of a once prosperous creature. A cry ricochet long into the darkness, until it faded, never to be heard by its fellow brothers and sisters again.

Unbidden, ice crawled along the edges of Seto's heart.

.

On the other side of the world, Kisara inhaled a sharp breath. A force from beyond this realm collided with her heart, upsetting the steady beat. Aching with the sudden knowledge, tears sprung to her eyes. The barrage of emotion nearly drew her to her knees, but she knelt into a low squat to hopefully regain her bearings. Her fingertips spread through the carpet-real-but her vision was blurring, and her mind plunged into Recollection Hall for only the briefest moment. There, she heard the roar of a dragon.

 _His_ dragon.

She was gone…

"Oh, Seto," she whispered. "What have you done?"

.

"Grandpa's most treasured card!" Yugi exclaimed.

Seto squashed whatever emotions dared defy him, settling for the fringes of satisfaction to console him. "Yes," he agreed. "The Blue Eyes White Dragon is a rare and valuable card, and this one, will never be used against me." Inwardly, however, something stabbed at him.

" _Kaiba_ ," Yami growled, low and resounding.

"My-My Blue Eyes White Dragon! My-My treasure!" Grandpa Muto was trembling, stumbling over himself. Seto glowered at him, and the old man nearly collapsed in on himself again.

"Just hold on," Yami tried, brows drawn, lethally calm.

"Y-Yami…" Grandpa Muto managed, fighting for his voice to be heard. "Y-Yugi… Here, take this…" He held up his deck, a prized collection of his own design. He held it up to them both. "I put my heart in his deck, my _soul_ in these cards, and I taught both of you everything I know… Take them, take my cards and teach him respect. Teach Kaiba respect for the Heart of the Cards…" He was begging, entreating them both with the heart and pride of a duelist.

"We need to take you to a doctor," Yami insisted, knowing that something was bound to go helplessly wrong if they waited any longer. His rationality was kicking in.

Yugi's brows knit. "He's right, Grandpa. You need help."

Seto had had enough of this, however. "Sounds like an excuse. Your friends can care for your grandfather while one of you duels me." Tears were fresh in Yugi's eyes, whereas his brother was set in grim determination, every hindrance left behind as ambition set its course.

"Take him, you guys!" The Muto twins started, melted by the voice of Jou. Their friends were standing beside them. How sweet. Seto wanted to throw up. Somehow he knew a friendship speech was about to waterfall down the slope... "We can take care of your grandpa while one of you deals with creepy Kaiba." He decided to let that one go for the time being. "Teach him what real dueling's all about!"

"For your Grandpa!" Anzu declared, adamant.

The twins looked to each other, apprehensive to what they'd have to overcome. "But…"

"Believe me," Jou said. "You two are the best duelists I've ever seen, and not to mention you both have the Millennium Items! The Key and the Puzzle! You both can take him on!" Contented by the blonde's indignation, they were ready. But who was to take on Kaiba for real? The brothers were two separate ties made to remain together, yet divided by their titles, by birth for their own journeys and histories. They were two halves that made for a whole, but only one could become king in the absence of a ruler.

Yugi smiled amid the tears. "You always were the King of Games, Yami."

Yami looked away. "Yugi, you can't possibly-"

"It's always been you, Yami," Yugi admired. "This mantle is for you to take, not me. The Puzzle chose you, remember? We've both been trying to complete it for years, but it only fit for you in the end. This isn't a path meant for me to take. This deck…" He whipped away the tears. "It's always been yours, I think."

Yami stared at his twin, startled at his voice towards destiny and paths meant to travel as an individual. What had caused this? He shook his head, then bowed it in respect to his younger counterpart. "As you wish." It was a moment that would go down in history, for the spirits and souls of the deck inside were revived, brought back from a millennia's passing. So he took up that mantle, took a sign of friendship, and light blazed on his forehead for a split-second, awakening the forces of the Millennium Puzzle.

The Pharaoh had returned.

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"My Grandpa's deck has no pathetic cards, Kaiba," Yami retorted, and that golden puzzle around his neck flashed. "But it does contain," he smirked. "The unstoppable _Exodia_." The Head of Exodia flashed in his hand, a telltale sign of Seto's inevitable defeat. Once upon a time, this outcome had been predicted, but it had been brought to life by the Heart of the Cards. Echoes thrashed through his head, a reminder.

An invitation.

 _No._

 _NO!_

 _No._

 _No!_

Seto took a step back, teetering on the edge of doubt and belief. "That's impossible!"

"I've assembled all five special cards," Yami continued, but Seto barely comprehended any of what he'd said. "All five pieces of the puzzle!"

Panic. He was panicking. "Ugh... It's not possible! No one's ever been able to summon him!"

"Exodia," Yami said, his word a sonorous requiem of ancient origin. It was something Seto would never truly understand for a long time. " _OBLITERATE!_ "

Light exploded in all directions, throttling out the darkness that spread through in the deep trenches thought forgotten. It soared and vanquished any remaining traces of demonic presence, resting Seto's life points to zero. And his three remaining Blue Eyes, the last three in existence, were no more…

"You play only for power, Kaiba," Yami told him once the duel was over. "And _that_ is why you lost, but if you put your heart in the game, there is nothing you can't do."

Rubbish. Rubbish. Dammable rubbish! Like hell a _Heart of the Cards_ was real. But... "But how? _How_? How could _I_ have lost to _him_?" His intellect recounted the events easily, replaying every move, every card, every statistical possibility… Nothing. His eyes widened. There was nothing he could've done to detour this result… Not with… Not with what Yami Muto had accomplished. Exodia…

"Kaiba," Yami called out, and practically through a void. "If you really want to know…" There was a split second of silence, and that echo of lost time fell through his defenses all over again, cutting deep into his soul. Blue and white and gold and sand, sand _everywhere_ , and her, a laugh, a blurred smile, the tinkling of a giggle, the blazing of a crown. Then her eyes, he never saw-"Open your mind!"

 _Crack._

Something in Seto shattered, splintering beyond repair and fell to a thousand pieces.

But he felt lighter, as if he'd lost a darker part of himself from whatever Yami had done. Groaning, another image filtered past his vision.

Electric baby blue locks fluttered on a white canvas beyond, waving in a breeze unseen, heavenly and angelic. And a voice whispered his name in melodious song he knew all too well.

 _Seto…_

 _Seto.._

 _Seto._

It was that voice again… But where was it coming from?

"Who are you?" he breathed, lost in a time not his own, lost in some unreal reality, lost in the whispers that pulled at his soul… Lost. He'd lost, but how much had he really lost? It seemed far more than what he'd originally thought…

Seto Kaiba fell to his knees.

.

Kisara Pegasus had merely been down the hall, having felt the _crack_ from across the ocean. She breathed, unsettled by the barrage of emotions within the last twenty-four hours, but at the same time, she was curious about it. What was happening in the world to cause this chainlink-effect? These sudden urges? The Echo? Her questions were unanswerable though, and she knew it.

But one thing kept her from thinking she was going mad. Her father, Maximillion Pegasus, was the wielder of the Eye, a golden item from her other life. It was a piece of seven other items from the age of Ancient Egypt, and from what she'd come to remember recently, the last holder of the Eye had driven himself down a path of no return. And something chilled her about her father as of late, but it was now that her suspicions transformed into solid truth.

"Mr. Pegasus, Sir." Kisara slammed herself against a nearby wall, knowing that _this_ specific bodyguard was all about intel. She swallowed thickly, hoping, _praying_ , that her suspicions about her father were wrong to believe.

"Seto Kaiba, our uncontested champion, he's been defeated in a duel, Sir." Kisara froze, dread compiling in her gut. Was _that_ what had happened?! He-He'd lost? But only one person would be able-And what about Neftis?

The guard continued despite her inner turmoil, "By someone named, ' _Yami'_."

Kisara nearly keeled over by the storm of images that swept past her vision. Games. Guardians. Thrones. Gold. Gold. Gold. So much _gold_. Sand. Violet. Scarlet-no-red-no- _Crimson_. She swallowed the bile that suddenly emerged in her throat. _Crimson_. Then the figure. Adorned in the palace cloths and signature beads of the Royal Court, and skin so tanned, with spike-tipped tendrils that contrasted from all else... _He_ sat upon the Pharaoh's Throne. The _Millennium_ _Puzzle_ rested around his neck. The entire court kneeled before him, a precession that defined his authority and position. A leader of the people, a king by birth and title and right. She saw Seto there, along with the Sacred Guardians at his side. She saw herself there too, smiling beside her pharaoh. Their gazes met, then she kneeled with the rest of them, among his court.

" _Brother_ …" she whispered, then and now. Not by birth, but by feeling. By mutual consent and by Egypt's love. " _My Pharaoh_."

Seto Kaiba, the reincarnation of a Sacred Guardian and supposed, eternal rival, had been defeated by his Pharaoh. A boy named Yami… Yami _was_ the Pharaoh…

By the Gods…

Kisara ran. Ran. Ran. Ran to her studio, where every image suddenly fit together in the greatest puzzle ever to be created by mortal hands. She swiveled around, more images breaching her conscious thought and connected into picturesque memory, knowledge, understanding. History.

She gulped, remembering a life she never thought imagininable.

.

.

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 **King of Dragons**

 **Author's Note:**

 _Well there's this chapter. Far shorter than what I expected, but next chapter will mainly consist of the plot again. And yes, Yami and Yugi are twins. I'll devel more into the history of how that happened later, as it connects into the past and into today's time period, and how Kisara is connected to them all as a result. The Queen of Dragons~! Haha. Yes, Seto and Kisara share the title despite only having met once, and even as Yami beat Seto in a duel, his title still stands as he has the strongest Dragon deck in the world, he's just not THE champ anymore. You'll see eventually~! From here, the main story will change little by little, until then the entire plot just goes bang! Can't wait until Seto and Kisara meet!_

 _Inform me of errors please._

 _And review, lovely readers! Constructive criticism is happily read by yours truly._

 _Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


	3. Arc I, Chapter II: Lost

**Official** _ **King of Dragons**_ **Summary:**

Kisara remembers bits and pieces. Games. Guardians. Golden items. Her life. The others' lives. And she's the only one. Seto Kaiba doesn't. Yugi Muto doesn't. Then the clock starts the day Yami Muto completes the Millennium Puzzle, drawing three thousand years worth of magic into the present time, and the ultimate shadow game begins. Everyone returns for the final showdown in modern Japan. Five years worth of journeys, disbelief, history, and loves that spanned lifetimes in the making... It all starts now. Duelist Kingdom through Millennium World retold. _Blueshipping_

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 **King of Dragons**

 **Arc I: Duelist Kingdom**

 **Chapter II**

 **Lost**

.

 _"Getting lost will help you find yourself."_

 _-Holstee Manifesto_

.

Kisara scrawled images into her sketchbook, once again reminding herself that a long time ago, she'd been irrevocably in love with a man named Seto, who also happened to be the incarnate of today's Seto Kaiba, whom she shared the title of greatest draconian duelist in the world… It was a lot of information that sounded a little less impractical everyday, albeit she still had her queries and doubts about certain, unexplained events.

Yami had been _her brother—_ just not by blood. Seto had been _her lover_. And she… She'd been known as the Queen of Dragons back then too, just by different standards and expectations. Yami had given the common populous of Egypt the knowledge that she was a servant of the gods, sent by them, at that, to ensure the protection of those around her. Apparently, her exotically pale complexion and baby-blue locks had required an explanation, but she'd merely been a ward of the pharaoh. Nevertheless the people and members of the court had treated her as their princess despite her lack of title...

But some memories were blurred beyond recognition. She barely understood the details, only the big picture, and some people and faces were still unclear, such as a few of the Sacred Guardians. She could hear voices—sometimes—but other times, she could barely understand a word before the whole memory became clear again, save for a few things.

As such, she'd been researching Ancient Egypt in a frantic fascination, intending on eventually develing back into her father's journals for his own information. Gods knew that her father had practically reinvented Egypt's most revered game from the sullen sands itself when he'd left… She paused in her work, keenly aware that her hands had unwittingly created _his_ image again. She smile ruefully. This Seto had been different, a bit more… Open. With her incarnate anyway. Their relationship had been based upon mutual trust and genuine care for one another. In fact, she'd never seen anyone more in love… An ache festered in her chest. She'd call him 'Set'. Better to distinguish past from present in a way that allows her sanity to remain intact, otherwise she wouldn't draw the necessary lines that needed drawing.

Was it meant to be in this time, as well? One could dream, and yet, she barely knew Seto Kaiba. At least, not really. Their meetings were so few and whatever conversation they'd had were mainly one-sided, fueled only by her ability to converse with anyone without fail. She figured it was one of her perks, but Seto hadn't listened to a word she'd said, she was sure.

She snorted a little. She asked him to dance once, at one of her father's galas a year back after the completion of the American Duel Monster's tournament. Seto had been asked to attend merely as a viewer, as he'd been the World Champion at the time. Her request to dance with him had been entirely sincere, but he'd stared at her before giving her an apathetic _no_ and walking away. She'd sighed and moved on, but it was on the list of one of their few conversations, if it even counted as a conversation in the first place.

One day, if fate intervened and gave her the opportunity to become close to Seto, she'd be sure to ask him to dance again one day. Even despite his decidedly absurd notion that destroying the fourth Blue Eyes White Dragon card would benefit him. She swallowed thickly, tears pooling in her sapphire orbs. She looked to the sky, refusing to let them fall. What he'd done… She shook her head.

Perhaps _she_ was in a better place now… But Kisara could only hope for the best.

She forced herself to return to her drawing. Set was there, always the true love of his Queen. This image… Four dragons were there, alive and vibrant and ever immersed in the colorings they were named for, but the two individuals were divided. Three dragons stood behind her, curious and heads turned in clear wonder, with her before them, their mistress. And the person her smiling gaze was set upon was Set himself, who was adorned in the palace apparel that made him a Sacred Guardian. But one factor defined the present all too clearly.

A fourth Blue Eyes stood behind him, and by the whispers in her head, her name was Neftis.

.

Mokuba was at the door to his brother's office, calling out to him, "Seto! You gotta leave now if you're going to make the boat for the big tournament at Duelist Kingdom!" Silence met him, and he became worried. "Seto, open the door!" With only his word, the doors opened instantly. "Huh… Seto?"

The President and CEO of KaibaCorp was at a desk that overlooked the whole of Domino City, a king in both title and merit, but there was a sense of unnerving anxiety in the room. "I'm not going, Mokuba," Seto stated. He was rustling and shuffling through his deck, meticulous, yet restless in his ministrations, as if searching for something that would never be there no matter how desperately he craved otherwise.

"Not going?! Why not?" Mokuba wouldn't deny spike of _fear_ he felt by hearing those words.

" _There's no point,_ " Seto hissed, throwing his deck away, scattering the loyal dragons that had forever enthralled him, helped him on his journey to become the King of Dragons. He stared at them as if they meant nothing. As if he was nauseous just looking at them. Something was very, _very_ wrong.

"What do you mean, 'No point'?" Mokuba was beyond incredulous, part way to disturbed by seeing the incorrigible Seto Kaiba being reduced to a shaking teenager behind a desk far too large for him to uphold. This wasn't the brother he knew…

Seto closed his eyes, and if Mokuba dared to acknowledge it, his brother was… Shaking. "Kid, I am in no condition to duel anyone."

" _What are you talking about_?" he demanded. If there was anyone in the world who could break Seto out of this forsaken rut, it was him. Seto had taught him the meaning of pride, of being confident and assured and measured. He had to remind him of that. "You always say 'cards are power', and you have the strongest cards!"

Seto Kaiba looked away, shadows crawling over his expression. "Since I lost my duel with Yami, I just don't know what I think anymore." His tone was wavering, and unlike the brother he'd known his entire life, and this version… He'd never once witnessed this side of Seto. "Everything's different," he continued, gritting his teeth. "It feels as if I lost a part of _myself_ that day."

A part _of himself_? What was he talking about? Sure, he seemed a little out of it when he'd first lost to Yami Muto, but never had he expected his brother to be like this! And if so… What had he lost?

"But… But you're the best!" Mokuba assured him. Somehow he knew his efforts would be in vain. His brother's mental state was beyond his power to change, but he went on anyway, trying, hoping, "You're the champ! You're the King of Dragons, Seto!"

Seto stood, absently drawing a single card from the pocket of his violet trenchcoat. "The last part's true," he admitted, at least allowing his most popular title to be a sustaining trademark on his resume. "However, I am no longer anything else, not since the day I was defeated by Yami."

"Here, Mokuba." A flick of the wrist, and a card suddenly appeared in his hands. "I'm going away for awhile. I don't know how long I'll be gone. Keep this, it was always your favorite."

"Why?" He was frantic. They'd never been apart. In all the years, they'd done everything together. The loss of their parents, the months spent at the orphanage, the adoption into the Kaiba family, the usurpation of KaibaCorp, the ascension into Pro Dueling… Everything… "Why are you leaving?"

Cobalt eyes barely saw him in the doorway, distracted and absent and just gone… Lost… Swallowing, Seto whispered, "Because I don't know who I am anymore."

He snatched up his deck and a silver lined briefcase, and the CEO of KaibaCorp just… Excused himself from the area. "Take care, Kid."

"Seto," he breathed. Now he was terrified. "Don't go!"

But his brother was already walking away, leaving him behind. Mokuba had no idea that what laid behind his abrupt departure lied in the memories of a lifetime past, and loss of a creature from the depths of the shadow realm.

.

Kisara had had her suspicions about her father since her mother had died twelve years ago. She'd been five at the time, and she'd never seen her father more happy than when he'd been with his beloved Cecelia, but the moment he'd gone on his Egyptian adventures to find some way to resurrect his lost love, he'd never been the same. He'd _changed_ somehow. He'd gotten a bit more distant, and in some cases, hysterical, almost _mad_ by whatever drove him. The God cards had finally knocked some sense into him, though they'd had to practically _throttle_ it into him before he'd finally backed off and left them alone.

And even more recently, since the Echo, things had gone from dismal to downright horrible. For one, he'd scheduled a clandestine business meeting with the Big Five, KaibaCorps notorious board of directions. The meeting was strictly off the books, but she'd been in a snooping mood when she'd found out. As a result, she was secretly hacking into the KaibaCorp mainframe to 'visit' this meeting herself. She was also well aware that Seto Kaiba had left the company to its own devices for a period of time off, so the question was: why would her father be in a meeting with the KaibaCorp board of directors without its prized CEO in attendance? It was suspicious to say the least. And with how her father had been acting the last few weeks especially, she was beyond wary. She was only lucky he held no suspicions over her, as far a she knew…

But what was he planning?

Kisara's fingertips soared over the keys of her home computer, typing in access codes and key data required to do her work. She felt only the fringes of guilt for breaking into Seto's own program, but if he was away and completely unaware of what her father was doing… Well, the decision came easily enough. She had to know if her father posed KaibaCorp and its CEO a threat. And with what she'd seen, something told her that she was going to have to do a lot of assisting in the future. This would only be the start of her journey as a member of the Millennium Court.

Finally, after a grueling twenty minutes of merely punching in access codes, she got in. She grinned. Seto had quite the system, though to be outdone by his own Queen when it came to computer science was rather amusing. She suppressed the giggle that bubbled from her throat—Wait.

A blush bloomed on her cheeks.

She'd just referred to herself as _his Queen_. She forced herself to breathe, though the idea was entirely appealing—

She slapped her cheeks. "No, no, no, Kisara. You _cannot_ think this way. He probably doesn't remember you in _that_ way." Inwardly, she helplessly added, _Yet_. She shook her head vigorously, at least attempting to regain her former frame of mind, but the blush remained a stain on her cheeks even as she found the right routes to channel into the cameras situated over Meeting Room 5 in KaibaCorp's HQ.

"Now, gentlemen." Kisara jumped. Hearing the voice of her father in an otherwise silent room, worried her. Perhaps headphones were in order… Gods knew she didn't need her father's men holding her twenty-four-seven house arrest for learning of his covert affairs... "Let's see if I understand your proposition," her father continued. "Seto Kaiba has abandoned his corporate station, and now you five wish to seize control of KaibaCorp." Kisara froze. "You _then_ want to merge with my company, and you'd like me to handle any messy details, yes?"

Her father wanted to _usurp_ KaibaCorp?!

"Precisely, Mr. Pegasus," one agreed. "With our money and your leadership, we will easily take control of KaibaCorp."

Seemingly satisfied with the deal, her father purred, " _Do_ tell."

Another said, "For our plan to succeed, Kaiba must be taken out from the picture." Then he added, " _Permanently_."

Kisara gritted her teeth. There was no way they were just going to take over KaibaCorp and murder its CEO. Seto was far too resourceful and adept at what he did. He'd practically stollen the company from his step-father and won out the majority shares through sheer skill and ambition. There was _absolutely no way_ they were going to succeed, and with her help—

"However, there is one catch," a third admitted. His voice was shrill and scaly, and she cringed. "As by the Corporate bylaws, only a Kaiba family member can legally control KaibaCorp."

Her father seemed to consider it. "Hmm."

"To that end, Pegasus, we recommend kidnapping Kaiba's brother, Mokuba." Her blood ran cold. Now, that was just—"In name, he will control KaibaCorp, but _we_ will control him."

Kisara was shaking, whether in rage or defiance or terror, she wasn't sure.

"Do these things for us," one purred. "And we will lay _all_ of KaibaCorp's technology at your feet."

"Agreed." Her father smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "The elder Kaiba shall be met with an ' _accident'_ , and the younger Kaiba will be captured."

The Big Five all seemed to relax in their seats, though Kisara could scarcely discern their faces amid the shadows.

"Excellent, but we have one final condition," another continued.

"The brat who beat Kaiba has tarnished KaibaCorp's good name, and we must insist that you restore it."

 _Yami… Oh, no… Both the Pharaoh and Seto… I suppose it's of no coincidence that they have similar enemies in this time, but still…_

" _Well_ ," her father breathed. "How fortuitous. Plans for me to duel Yami are already underway." _So that's the reason why he'd created the Duelist Kingdom Tournament… To draw the Pharaoh in._ "Now, to show that I truly am the man for this job. Kemo, bring me young Kaiba, would you?"

Kisara watched helplessly as Mokuba Kaiba appeared in the entranceway, along with her father's signature guard. Mokuba was trapped in his arms, unable to escape no matter how much he resisted… "NO! Arg! Let me go, you creeps! I heard _everything_! And when I tell my big brother, you're gonna be—"

"You see, gentlemen," her father continued. " _This_ is how you can expect me to handle our business. Young Kaiba is captured, Yami will be defeated, and soon Seto Kaiba will bother us no more." He then presumed to laugh with all the hapless merriment only a psychotic, power-hungry madman could achieve.

Kisara's fingers curled into fists.

She cut out the footage only after a few more minute details, having missed the majority of the meeting, but she'd heard far more information than what she'd originally expected to hear. _Father… What has happened to you to bring out this side of your personality? Was it really because of mother? Or has something else shattered your judgement? Is it… The Millennium Eye?_

Recollection Hall appeared in her vision, echoes ricocheting all around as she fell, fell, fell… Games. Guardians. Golden Items. She searched though time and space for any indication for the affect in this era.

She drew in a breath.

Aknadin. As the previous owner of the Millennium Eye, his own endeavors lied in a far darker place, having explored the reaches of the shadow realm due to his treasonous crimes against the throne. But afterward… Nothing. She could see no more than what laid in front of her. The doors closed before she could fully grasp the end of her story. Reality met her, and it took her a moment to fully comprehend what she'd seen. It could be mere coincidence that it was the Eye, or was it something else merely _connected_ to it?

" _When left unchecked or placed in the wrong hands, the items crave power, my Queen."_

Kisara bolted upright. "That voice…" From ancient times, that voice… It was so familiar, so soft-spoken and mysterious. But there was a painted respect to his words, natural, tact…

But who?

"Whoever you are," Kisara said, sighing as she once again seated herself. "I appreciate your council." Gods knew she needed it to solve the puzzle that was her life.

.

A week had passed since the first Echo, and before Kisara had figured out her father was conspiring with the Big five to take over KaibaCorp, she'd simply considered flying herself to Egypt to further the research her father had started twelve years ago in order to regain her memories, only to postpone her desired expedition for a later date. The main reason was because of the rise of Duelist Kingdom. And recently, she'd realized her father had organized then entire tournament in order to steal the Millennium Items.

To succeed in his goal, her father had actually stolen the soul of Sugoroku Muto— _Yami Muto's_ own grandfather—so the young Pharaoh would unwittingly join the ranks of duelists and hopefully go up against her father in a shadow duel. Add in her father's sudden desire to take over KaibaCorp, and Kisara had made the unanimous decision to stay on the island.

She would thwart his plans, she had to. If only to help Seto Kaiba. The Echo probably wanted the members of the Pharaoh's Court to emerge in similar locations after the thousands of years of silence. The world was preparing its players for the greatest shadow game to have ever walked the face of the mortal realm… The problem was, she didn't know whether or not she could divulge any of the information she had… Did any of the members have recollections of their past lives? And if they didn't, how was she to explain the tremendous destiny laid down at their feet? That Echo surely hadn't left her alone out here without any means to carry out whatever it was she supposed to do, had it? The thought was nerve wracking…

But she had to look to the positive. If both the Pharaoh and Seto had been born in this time, that made for two key players already… And from what she remembered, there had been another brother involved. A younger one of the three. Yugi, was it? His path was along their road, but wedged off due to the intense rivalry between the other two. The King of Games… The Prince of Games… The King of Dragons… If the three were, in fact, _all alive_ , then that meant the Triumvirate of Egypt had officially returned… Kisara gulped. So much power… And that made up three of the seven Sacred Guardians too.

As it was, Kisara complied every document, artifact, and book relating to Egypt, as well as the overall connection to Duel Monsters. In truth, she'd practically locked herself away in the acloves of the castle library to research. An entire section had been dedicated to it, and she'd been going over the details she might've missed from her travels to Recollection Hall. It was a very complicated history, she learned, random ideas transversing into picturesque memory every other second. Eventually, she scrawled out images into her sketchbook, studiously reread pages, handwritten notes, and ancient hieroglyphs.

From what she'd read—when her father had first gone to Egypt—he'd been possessed by the desire to return his long lost wife from Death's clutches. He'd inevitably gained the Millennium Eye, and found the ruined tablets of Duel Monsters, innovating the game for a modern audience. Then there was the mention of a mysterious fellow named 'Shadi', whose own portrait hung in their dinning room alongside her mother's own. Also in his journals were notes relating to the Tomb of the Unnamed Pharaoh. She had an inkling as to who that might've been. But why was his tomb unnamed?

Therein led to the most important question: what had happened to cause this destruction in the first place? All she could recall was that some creature had appeared and wreaked havoc upon the kingdom of sands…

She closed the book she'd been reading. Clearly her father's research could only get her so far… She'd been doing that for a week, waiting for Duelist Kingdom to begin, thinking, hypothesizing, and regaining memories… Well, _that_ , and keeping a close eye on what her father had _actually_ been doing.

And today was now the day.

It was time for a rebellion, and as the Queen of untamed beasts and majestic monsters, it was her job to ensure the protection of those she cared about.

When she smiled, it was rueful. It was a terrible act of kindness towards a man who'd destroyed his own dragon for the sake of greed… His own dragon… Those left in his deck were once hers back in ancient Egypt. They were trapped inside the boundaries of a game card… But she couldn't think about that right now. She could inject those vile thoughts toward her source of animosity another day. When she saw Seto Kaiba again, she was sure to give him a good slap in the face for his actions.

But for now, she'd help him the best way she knew how.

She was going to break Mokuba Kaiba out of prison.

.

It was a small house, but it made due. As long as no one found him here, he was fine with the result. Its purpose was fulfilled. Isolation. Pure isolation from the rest of humanity. He'd bought this island with that specific idea in mind, hidden and kept away from the common populous he despised. He never had been much for people. The majority were simpletons, and the rest were manipulated to suit his own desires. And those who'd never succumbed to his will of iron were of a seldom few that he shared a quiet respect for, but he doubted he'd have the will to deter anyone with the shape he was in.

How the mighty have fallen.

He was lost. In dreams and life and loss and flashes… What pulled at him so? That whiteness, that purity, and those locks of the faintest blue… Never the eyes… _Azure_ … No… _Cerulean_ … No… He could never discern the exact coloring, nor the shape by which they were sculpted.

Where were these damnable flashes coming from? He groaned, his own eyes straining to stay open.

His energy lacked its usual luster, quieted by a type of depression. Insomnia further scratched his already frayed nerves. Whenever dreams came into the picture, all he could see were images of his duel with Yami, or brief flashes of a voice whispering his name at the edge of his subconscious. Sweet lulls they were, calling him away, into the abysmal nightmare of unknowns. But he could never see her clearly, as if she were veiled behind a curtain, but he heard her plain as day.

Nevertheless, his duel with Yami haunted him, and he forced himself the draw that emotion into his mind, forgoing the whiteness in his peripheral for something real, something he could inspect and calculate, but even that...

 _It's no use. I've gone over it a dozen times in my mind and I still can't figure it out. How is a kid who came out of nowhere able to defeat a champion like me? I've run computer simulations, probability scenarios, and a quantum analysis of our duel, but I still don't have the answer…_

 _I had clearly been dominating the match, my Blue Eyes White Dragon ripping through his forces. I was on the verge of winning, but Yami wouldn't give up. Against all odds, and absolute faith in his grandfather's deck, he somehow drew the one card that assured his victory…._

His eyes cleared. _I've always believed that Duel Monsters was a game of sheer power, but Yami claims that the cards have a Heart._

A spark of electricity interrupted his thoughts. _Wrong wire._ His hands barely had to connect to his head to adjust the faulty mishap. He knew his own technology like the back of his hand, and most days, even more so. His screwdriver went elsewhere, and so did his mind.

 _It sounds crazy, I know, but could Yami be right? Is there really a Heart of the Cards that can affect the outcome of a duel? Is that how he won? The only way I'll know for sure is to face Yami again, and these new holo-generators will allow me to challenge him no matter where I find him. If I can just get to—_

 _Bang!_

"Hmm?" His attentions were divered by the thwack of door slams.

"Seto Kaiba! We know you're in there! Open the door or we'll break it down!" Calmly, yet quickly, he placed his newest design into his signature briefcase. Bullet-proof too. He'd been in far too many close calls in the past not to have one on him when transporting a patent from place to place. Apparently, it was time to use it again. But what the hell was _this_ all about?

They kicked down the door, and he frowned. He would be sure to replace it something sturdier when he returned. If a few goons could get in, what would he do if the place was surrounded on all sides? "Let's go, Kaiba."

"On your feet," the other demanded, though Seto had yet to even turn in their direction.

The click of he safety resounded in the air, and ebony pistols were aimed in his direction. "Mr. Pegasus would like to have a few words with you."

Pegasus, huh? The man had betayed him, had he? He couldn't say that it surpised him, then agian, little did.

"Heh," he smirked, and stood. "I bet he would, but it'll take more than you two goons to grab me." With these two in front of him and no other escape plan, there was only one way out of this place.

"This can go easy, or we can snap you in two, you wise guy."

Without a second thought, he kicked his chair into the two goons, and they fell into a heap on his titanium floor. _Good enough_. Though for some forsaken reason he called out, "You'll never take me alive!" He regretted those words instantly. Like hell they would allow him to leave the premises alive anyway.

Without further preamble, he snatched up his briefcase and broke through the window. Reflexes quick as lightning, he found a ledge to grab hold of, scrapping his hands and arms on the way down. And when he did grab hold of a ledge reasonable enough to hold his weight, hot pain shot through his shoulder. He gritted his teeth as his fingers drew fresh blood, where it slithered down his arm in crimson streaks.

The color struck a chord in him. _The same as his eyes…_ A growl rose in his throat, before he shook his head. _Irrelevant!_

"He jumped!" a goon declared aloud. _No really, I thought what I did was flying._

"Nobody could survive a fall like that." He looked down. Water sputtered against the mountain ridges, ravenous upon the rocky wall, and monolithic spikes peaked through the ocean's surface. _Well, that's true enough._

"Looks like he did our work for us." The simpleton sounded pretty enthused by the prospect, and Seto scoffed despite his position. _As if._

For a moment, all he did was wait for the footsteps to retreat into the background of the lapping waves, before allowing his mind to stretch in another direction.

This situation caused various questions to arise. If Pegasus wanted him dead, it meant that something had gone horribly wrong. Although, he knew to be careful when dealing with business tycoons such as himself. There seldom were those who didn't conspire against their allies, especially when it came to the gaming industry, and Maximillion Pegasus had proven no different. He should've expected this.

It was obvious to Seto that Pegasus was trying to take his company from him. No other reason was relatively plausible. However…

Cold horror washed over him. "Mokuba…"

KaibaCorp's bylaws demanded that ownership of the company fell directly to a Kaiba family member, and there were only two Kaibas left alive. With him out of the picture, it meant that Mokuba was the sole owner of KaibaCorp, and was in grave danger as a result.

He had to get out of here.

So, centimeter by dreary centimeter, Seto made his way back up the cliffside.

It was time for a big revival.

.

.

.

 **King of Dragons**

 **Author's Note:**

 _By God, I simply cannot wait until Kisara meets Seto, but I have like one to two more chapters until then… Sad… Only then can I finally explain their first duel! And well, their first interaction is rather hilarious once the initial scene is done… Haha. We move on from the gunslinging into a conversation that basically defines their relationship for the first three arcs. Haha. I love having two geniuses in one room and just kinda testing one another in a rather friendly/competitive manner._

 _Sadly, this story doesn't really get into anything new until the end of this arc, whereas in Arc II: Battle City, the plot begins to have stubble changes here and there that wholly create a new type of story. I haven't even introduced like four of the main characters yet, who won't be here until say, the second arc? I'm sorry, but I must stick to my outline, otherwise everything will get muddled. Just wait and see, readers!_

 _I'm hoping Arc I will be about say, 7 chapters total, but that might be pushing it. It basically just starts the series off before diverging out completely._

 _I can't wait to introduce the Queen of Games! Guess who that is?!_

 _The Queen of Dragons , is the story of Priest Seto and Kisara, told by this alternate reality's perspective and events. Such as having Yami and Yugi as brothers. It's on my profile if you would like to read it!_

 _Inform me of errors please._

 _And review, lovely readers! Constructive criticism is happily read by yours truly._

 _Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


	4. Arc I, Chapter III: Found

**Official** _ **King of Dragons**_ **Summary:**

Kisara remembers bits and pieces. Games. Guardians. Golden items. Her life. The others' lives. And she's the only one. Seto Kaiba doesn't. Yugi Muto doesn't. Then the clock starts the day Yami Muto completes the Millennium Puzzle, drawing three thousand years worth of magic into the present time, and the ultimate shadow game begins. Everyone returns for the final showdown in modern Japan. Five years worth of journeys, disbelief, history, and loves that spanned lifetimes in the making... It all starts now. Duelist Kingdom through Millennium World retold. _Blueshipping_

.

 **King of Dragons**

 **Arc I: Duelist Kingdom**

 **Chapter III**

 **Found**

.

" _The lost get found… So when you get the chance, are you gonna take it?_

 _There's a really big world at your fingertips, and you know you have the chance to change it…"_

-Britt Nicole

.

Kisara was situated behind a suit of armor, breath quieted as she listened for any incoming footsteps. Guards patrolled the tower, and she'd been lucky to skulk around the stone corridors unsuspected. She'd had quite a number of close encounters, but never had they paid her any attention, or even a hint of acknowledgment of her being there. She'd hidden behind closed doors and various designs of armor in the last twenty minutes, aware that she could be caught at any moment. Albeit, she had to remind herself that she'd studied the guard changes and tower layouts enough to evade anyone within fifty feet of her at all times.

As it was, the corridor was deafeningly silent and Kisara counted the seconds until she should run. _Ten seconds now, and the guard nearest me will be on the lower level. Two minutes to talk to Mokuba and give him directions, before I hike it back the way I came as quickly as possible._ She waited, took a breath, then stepped into the light. The noticeable change in illumination brought a sense of relative ease to her limbs, calming the waters of her mind. This was her time, her abode, and she worked well in it.

She ran down the hall, her steps light and nimble and preternaturally quiet along the sullen stones beneath her feet. Then again, three thousand years ago, she'd learned from the best thief on their side of the Nile how to make her way through secured places undetected. A wry smile made its way onto her lips. She wondered if he'd made it into this time as well. _The Thief King…_ It certainly would've been appropriate for him to be revived if the Triumvirate had returned. He'd hardly been without importance back then.

She stilled her footing at a locked door some fifty feet from her hiding spot, and started to pick at the lock. Another nifty addition to her increasing list of specialties. She'd only learned how to do this type of craft a few days ago when visiting Recollection Hall. Apparently, her incarnate had been very cunning when necessary.

 _Click_.

It resounded in the air, an otherwise catastrophic _boom_ amongst the gravely silent, and Kisara surveyed both left and right for any indication of being heard. None. Returning to her role, she removed the pick and twisted the door-handle. She couldn't help but grin a little. _Thank you, Thief King… Someday, if I can, I will repay you._

Beyond the door, was Mokuba Kaiba. His ebony locks were disheveled and clouded his expression behind bushy bangs. He was sitting upon the stone flooring, back resting against the wall. The window was just beyond his petite frame, emitting the bright, almost _blinding_ sunlight of normal Californian day, but because of it, the little Kaiba was contorted in a mesh of shadows. Almost a silhouette.

Then vivid violet eyes flashed in her direction, a beacon in the darkened light. It was an unordinary gaze. He seemed to radiate a natural haughtiness brought up by a regal rise in power, but not born. Never born. Even in the past, this little one had never been born of royal descent, but favored by a bloodless relation that had managed to transcend time. That minor detail had actually fashioned itself differently this time around however.

"Miss Pegasus." There was no hint of kindness in the formal title, and Kisara repressed a frown.

Instead, she smiled, a benevolent, heartwarming kind of greeting. "Master Kaiba."

"What do you want." It was a demand, and if Kisara hadn't known better, it might as well have been Seto himself speaking, but there was a sense of lesser accordance to the ways of command that could only be honed by years of practice. Nevertheless, Seto had taught him well.

"It's more of a question of what _you_ want, actually," she said. She spared the corridor a glance, before latching the door shut. Time was of the essence.

He sneered, "What?"

Kisara knelt before him, and scattered tendrils of baby blue descended to the stone cold floor. The contrast was devastating, and she couldn't help but smile at Mokuba Kaiba. The light always burst through the darkest night. "I'm here to help you, Moku," she whispered.

The name seemed to strike a chord in him. "How do you know that name?" he hissed. "Only my brother calls me that."

She winked. "Secrets aren't always meant to be told right away. Otherwise the surprise goes to waste."

"But _what_ are you doing here?" His voice was hard, but brittle, and easily transparent. It didn't scare her in the least. She'd been struck with far worse in the past.

"I'm breaking you out," she told him, handing him a small map of the island. At his incredulous look, she hastily continued, "There are going to be people looking for you, but I would suggest finding Yami Muto. If there's anyone who can help you stay safe until your brother comes to get you, it's him and his friends."

" _Yami_?" He was furious. "If you think I'll even consider accepting his help then you're—"

"Extremely cunning. Yes, yes, I know. Now, I know you have a lot of bad blood recently between one another, but Moku." She grasped at his shoulders, her conviction evident. "He _will_ help you. He's more caring than you can imagine, and trust me when I tell you, beating your brother was the best thing he could've done. You may not realize it now, but you will, in time."

Mokuba was stilled into silence, his apprehension clear, but there were hints of understanding that had begun to appear. Quietly, he asked, "How do I know I can trust you, Miss Pegasus?"

At that, Kisara grinned. "For one, you can call me Kisara, and another…" She plucked at the deck box on her waist, and fanned out her cards before him. "Pick one," she entreated.

He frowned. "Why?"

"Consider it a token of my honesty, and one day, when you know you're safe again, I'll be happy to take it back. Until that day comes, I swear upon the souls of my cards to protect you." She took a breath. "That's the most sincere oath I can ever give you, Moku."

"You sound like Yami Muto and his grandfather," Mokuba muttered. "Now you're going to tell me there's a Heart of the Cards too."

She started a bit at the mention of the Heart of the Cards, then smiled. "Of course there's a Heart. There's a heart in all things, Moku, even in the greatest darkness. It's what brings us in the right direction; what guides us. The Heart. It's our most powerful source of light."

Sapphire and violet orbs were locked in an embrace that spanned the distance of thousands of years of life and trust, and in that moment, Mokuba chose to act upon a force beyond himself, but a single question gnawed him whole.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked then, quietly. "You have to know that your father is taking over KaibaCorp—you're the heir of Industrial Illusions. Why… Why would you throw all that away?"

Her smile became terribly sad. "Because it's my job, my right, and my _duty_ to ensure the protection of those I care about."

His eyes widened, startled. "I—I don't understand… What?"

Time was running out, and that question required an explanation far more in depth than she was capable of giving at the moment. She also needed to put her sentiment of the past on the sidelines for a second, otherwise she would get nowhere. "But either way, Moku, I need you decide right here, right now, if you trust me. My cards are my word and my soul. Where they are, I am. So." She smiled. "What's the verdict?"

There was a split second of indecision before he relented. "Alright," he sighed, then added, "Kisara."

Her expression softened to a loving one, and memories prospered. She swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing that she still needed to get him out of the tower. "Thank you, Young One," she whispered. And to seal the deal, Mokuba chose a single card from her deck. It ended up being her trademark. She took that as a sign sent down from the Gods themselves. Immortal powers were definitely at work here.

"Th—This—!" Opalescent light radiated from the hand painted portrait, as if casting out warmth where she took breath.

"Is my most precious card," Kisara continued for him, grinning like a cat. "I want you to have it for awhile. I trust you with it."

The Blue Eyes Shining Dragon, so rare, so valuable, she rivaled the Blue Eyes White Dragons in Seto Kaiba's deck, but this one was special. She was graced with the ability to defeat the mythical God Cards, and as such, there was only one in existence. But three thousand years ago, this fearsome dragon had been the most loyal beast at her disposal. Back then, many had said the Shining Dragon was a reflection of her innermost strength. A few had even whispered that it represented her heart and soul from ages long since forgotten by history, bred to combat darker forces… But those were tales from Recollection Hall that she had yet to fully discern, or even locate completely.

"Anyway," Kisara said, reverting back to her original train of thought, and Mokuba snapped his attention to her. "Here's what you need to do…"

.

After having scraped back up that forsaken spit of rock beneath his house, Seto Kaiba watched from the shadows of a tree for an opening. The guards were stationed everywhere along the perimeter, and there were dozens of them. There was no way he would get access through the front, there were too many for him to engage directly. _I'll need to take a more discreet route._

Quickly as possible, he grabbed at the ledge of a stone fence before hurling himself over, landing with a grace he'd always had, before throwing open a secret latch beneath the grass at his feet. This place had been built in the days of his adolescence, when a certain _father-figure_ had still been around. Back then, it had been utilized has as his own personal operations room to observe corporate standings and build patens. It hadn't been used in years, but it was about to be resurrected.

Having skulked down the stairs, it lead him into a dimly lit library filled to the brim with dust and old tomes. The place was a relic, but it housed a plethora of knowledge he'd stashed away over the years. Among his effects was a identification scanner, hidden behind a bookcase. When admitting in the seldom number he allowed access to these walls, it lead him to an even smaller subchamber inside his home basement. There, he would be able to get the information he desired. Back-entrance infiltrations and system hacks were some of his specialties, after all.

Flipping a switch at his side, the tri-screen computer thrummed to life. The computer was awake, flashing several 'Seto Kaiba's on the screen before him, and he sat down. "Running identity verification protocol. Please state your name."

"Seto Kaiba."

Finally, it allowed him access.

"I thought I'd seen it all," the computer greeted, her automated voice that of a woman's, and not one he particularly cared for. "But breaking into your own house?"

"It's too long a story for right now," he told the computer, slowly. Drained was another word for what he felt, but his physical limitations were hardly going to stop him. Not with the wretched chaos running amok because of some corrupted take over. Some 'handling' needed to be done.

"Too long a story?!" it exclaimed, the audio suddenly erupting through the speakers. His head echoed thunderously, and he nearly slammed the shut down key, but refrained. Time was not on his side, and he required the resources. Instead, he encoded a lock on the volume, suppressing his steadily boiling rage with hasty, lethal fingertips. "Well, maybe I'm not in such a talkative mood myself, right now!"

He eyed the screen with a glare. "I'd find that hard to believe."

"Such a _smart_ guy…" He narrowed his eyes. This computer program was far more cheeky than he would've liked, and he often wondered why his adolescence mind had gone down a path to create this simulation-personality in the first place. He certainly could've made it more… Practical. Never mind him being twelve back then.

"And while you were off _galavanting_ , a hostile takeover of KaibaCorpations has begun!"

 _Galavanting, was it?_

His lips thinned. " _I know_."

"At the same time, Maximillion Pegasus kicked off his Duel Monster's championship at the Duelist Kingdom. If Yami Muto can be defeated by Pegasus or a competitor that represents him, then the new KaibaCorperations' board promised him control of the company!"

"He won't win." It was an obvious fact. The probabilities were not in Pegasus' favor; add in Yami's intellect, and it was damn well near impossible for Pegasus to defeat him. "Yami is unbeatable, his deck has Exodia." The shattering of infallible light bypassed his vision, before he blinked. The world around him was lit violet, no longer an infinite expanse of white. In a way, it unnerved him.

"Yeah, well," the computer sounded far from impressed. "Sometime after _you_ lost to Yami, _he_ lost Exodia."

That woke him up. "No way..!"

"When it rains, it _pours_." It paused, the screen displaying a three-dimensional map of the Duelist Kingdom Island, along with profiles of his brother and Pegasus himself. "Pegasus _knows_ all about the corporation bylaws that require a living Kaiba heir to make any change in control legal. Mokuba is his prisoner! And with you out of the way, it's likely that Pegasus will exert _all kinds_ of pressure to make your brother do what he wants, _one_ _way_ or _another_."

The threat of Pegasus was real then. There was no questioning it now, but kidnapping his little brother and trying to kill Seto Kaiba himself was beyond any type of compromise. It was time for a war, and he was going to _kill_ the conniving bastard if it was the last thing he _ever_ did.

"So," the computer said. "Now, you know... What _are_ we going to do?!"

 _They'll keep my brother safe, at least until the takeover is complete, so I've got to make sure Pegasus doesn't defeat Yami in a duel. No_ _matter what._

He growled low to himself, his fits clenched tight enough to draw blood. The very idea of helping _Yami Muto_ was enough to make him scoff in disbelief. Of all the damn people out there… But there was nothing to be done. The rules had changed, and he couldn't bend them without shattering them to pieces, and letting Pegasus win.

There wasn't a chance in Hell he was going to let that happen.

He slammed his fists down on the keys. "I'm not going to give up KaibaCorp without a real fight. It's takeover time. By _me_." Seto Kaiba didn't smirk, nor did he find any satisfaction when he declared, "We're going to hack right into Pegasus' computer mainframe."

His eyes were concentrated and hard and focused.

Found.

"Next stop, _Duelist Kingdom_."

.

There was a truth to the idea that Kisara dreamed of an escape as much as Mokuba did, if not more so, considering she'd been standing her ground within Duelist Kingdom for several months without ever leaving the confines of the castle walls. It was drawing on her nerves, and transforming her into a glittery wreck, but she had work that needed to be done. The outside world would have to wait.

Until Seto Kaiba arrived.

Her heart clenched at the mere thought of him. Knowing what she did now, what could she ever possibly say to him? She was Pegasus' daughter, the _enemy_. If only he knew that her loyalty lied solely with him. He held sway on her actions, on her decisions, but she also knew that in a day not too far from now, she would have the same effect on him.

She couldn't call it love. Not now, not so soon. She didn't know _Seto Kaiba_ that way, but her heart told her that it would come. Time didn't lie, and neither did the memories. It was the way history had designed the past, and she had no doubt it would repeat. Fact was fact, no matter how illogical it sounded… Seto, he was her soulmate. The fragmented pieces played their story all too well, and she knew, oh, she knew all too well what laid beyond the horizon of their rising sun. The simplicity of it all was final.

She was going to fall, irrevocably, undeniably, infallibly, forever more… In _love_ with him.

Kisara released a shuddering breath, helpless to combat the rising emotions that swelled in her heart. Everyday they became stronger…

She was his Queen.

That wasn't going to change.

"Now entering into the Industrial Illusion's mainframe."

Kisara jumped, throttled back into the present. "Ah, yes," she muttered, speaking to her computer. "Locate Duelist 001 Yami Muto, please."

"Now searching for Duelist 'Yami Muto'." The screen went from a basic map of the island to a specific forest on the eastern side. "Located Duelist 001 Yami Muto. How would you like to proceed?"

"Access video feed of Yami's duel, please."

"Now accessing…"

While her computer loaded the video feed, Kisara took a mental sigh of relief, but her relief only went so far. She needed to see if Mokuba had found him, and if he had, if he was as safe as she hoped he would be. With her father as her main adversary in this power struggle, her assistance could only work for so long. Yami or Seto would have to defeat him, and with the latter of the two champions out of the picture, she could only rely on Yami…

Kisara had debated the chances of her own dueling prowess versus her father's own in the passing weeks, but she knew that her help from the sidelines would be far more valuable. If her father didn't know who scheduled the arrangements and secret hints from behind the scenes, the Millennium Court would be better off. But if she confronted him now… All of her work would go down the drain. Without Seto here, she couldn't act against him. Until he arrived, she would buy him and Yami as much time as possible to complete their separate tasks.

She believed in both of them, and would gladly risk her own life to ensure their safety, even if they didn't know it.

But that was just who she was.

"Yami, you don't have a ghost of a chance beating Kaiba, because this time, he is a ghost!"

She'd just gotten into Yami's dueling feed, and upon hearing such a statement, Kisara immediately raised a brow. What on Earth…

"A ghost?" She recognized that baritone echo anywhere. The memories didn't lie. It really was… It was the Pharaoh! And beside him… Yugi, Joseph, Teana, and Tristion. Fate really had reincarnated all who'd once lived in ancient Egypt!

"Stop it, Kemo!" Mokuba snapped, who was trapped in an unrelenting grip of her father's most burly guard. She'd always hated that brute. So Mokuba had been captured before Yami had been able to save him. She bit her lip.

"It's a fact!" Kemo stated, sounding far too amused for her liking. "Two witnesses saw him fall to his doom."

 _Seto fell to his doom? That… That's not possible. I can_ _feel_ _him. He's most certainly not dead._ Kisara was a bit more dumbfound than fearful of the possibility, mainly because, since the first Echo, she was literally able to _sense_ his presence from across the Pacific. The same went for Yami and Yugi, as well as several others whom she felt but could not name yet. It was an odd feeling, almost as if a string connected them throughout time and space itself, and Kisara was certain. Seto Kaiba was very much alive. Whomever stood on that dueling platform was either an impersonator, or her father had used an ability from the Millennium Eye to resurrect a spirit of sorts.

"It's not him!" Yami retorted. If he was as certain as she was, then was it possible that he felt the connection too?

"Alert," her computer announced, snatching her attention away. "Another user has just accessed same feed. How would you like to proceed?"

When asked who it was, her computer answered, "User identified as Maximillion Pegasus."

 _Of course, it is._ "Hack into the video feed from my father's current location within the castle, please," Kisara said. "I want to see just what he thinks about his dastardly plan going _so well_."

.

What Seto found wasn't all that surprising. All of the information regarding Yami was what happened to be the most secure in the Industrial Illusion's mainframe. As it was, Seto's fingertips typed along the keys of his home computer, ravenous for the intel he desired. The computer was barely keeping up with him, the mathematics and code scrambling in his mind as he scarcely discerned what his fingertips were actually doing. He'd leapt into a world he immersed himself in daily, and because of that, there wasn't a computer system in the world he couldn't hack into. The president of Industrial Illusions had met his match.

The information regarding the duels were being routed from a satellite to the Industrial Illusion's Headquarters in California, but the software was highly encrypted. Whoever had constructed the system had to have been relatively intelligent. There was only one solution that would unlock the Yami's dueling information now, and that was to crash the Industrial Illusions' computer itself. His own computer questioned the possibility, rather incredulous at the notion. How could they possibly? The answer was simple, but destructive.

"A computer crash is exactly what I had in mind," Seto admitted, the idea forging in his head. "The biggest computer crash ever, and I'm going to use Pegasus' own satellite to do it."

Indignantly, his computer said, "But I've already tried to hack into their systems!"

Seto smirked. This idea would be entirely like him. "My idea's different. Once the security is down, we should be free to access the data. Be ready with a search for the Dark Magician." If there was any card that would be used by Yami, that was the one. It would help locate the spiky-haired pipsqueak when the time came.

With the Dark Magician inquiry loaded and standing by, his computer continued to barrage him with its insatiable curiosity. "So spill it already!" it exclaimed. "How the hell are we going to use Industrial Illusions' own satellite to bring down their computer?"

"By bringing down the satellite itself." He'd already decimated one corporate monarch, he could certainly do it again. "Down _all the way_."

With that, he dived headfirst back into his decryption codes. Hacking into the satellite proved easier than originally thought. All it took were a few strokes of the keys and a number of algorithms he could answer within seconds. In total, it was practically unprotected. How sloppy. Apparently, the same designer as the mainframe hadn't done the same work here. That was just stupid.

"You are now the proud owner of an Industrial Illusions satellite," his computer announced, sounding rather proud of itself. All it had done was load the page.

"Now plot a crash course for the computer mainframe."

"Uploading new coordinates now… We are locked on target for the computer. Location: Industrial Illusions Headquarters in California. Are you ready to proceed?"

"Virus software won't stop this. Proceed." Alone there and in the dark of his isolated home, he called out into the void. "Pegasus! You didn't notice KaibaCorp's _still_ mine!" No one was taking what he'd already stolen. This was his company, and with what Pegasus had done to his family-to him-it was high time the man paid his dues.

And impact was in less than ten seconds.

.

Kisara was sick with worry, her gut twisting around in circles. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all! Yami might be the Pharaoh, but with the way the duel had been going, she wasn't sure if the Heart of the Cards was actually working for him. What the hell was going on?! He was the King of Games, blessed by the Egyptian Gods themselves with abilities beyond any mortal! What had transpired in Ancient Egypt proved that!

Why wasn't it working?

The copy of Seto had already summoned the Blue Eyes White Dragon. The sight itself pained her, for she knew the souls of his cards were most certainly _not_ on their master's side. That wasn't Seto! That wasn't the Seto Kaiba she knew! Her father had definitely stolen his deck, but she knew for a fact that he was alive. It was impossible to believe otherwise, but apprehension gnawed her senseless. What had happened to the real Seto? Was he… Was he hurt?

She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

"ALERT! ALERT! INDUSTRIAL ILLUSIONS MAINFRAME DOWN! INDUSTRIAL ILLUSIONS MAINFRAME DOWN…"

"Huh?!"

Jolted from her woes, Kisara jumped from the sudden announcement. How could her software be down? She'd designed it! Who could've possibly…? Her heart plummeted in her throat, falling to her feet. Seto. Sapphire orbs widened in realization. How had he? Searching through broken data, she realized just what exactly he'd done to crash their computer. Oh... By the Gods!

"SETO KAIBA!" she exclaimed, absolutely appalled by this display of sheer destruction. A number of television channels roared with the news that the Industrial Illusion's Headquarters had been recently destroyed, impacted by its own satellite no less. Her brow twitched with pent up rage. He was so damn lucky there hadn't been anyone there today because of the tournament! "You—You—You, gah! If you'd wanted to access the system so badly, ask next time, damn it!" The system was gone, the only thing left secured in another branch personally overseen by her father. Yami's dueling data. And she couldn't access the same information without alerting her father. Seto was on his own. And that was probably what he'd been looking for too.

"Gah!" She crossed her arms and settled back into her seat, shimmering with hot rage. "You are _so_ in for it when I see you again…" she hissed.

But then, that rageous heat cooled into a soft understanding. She visibly sagged. "You're alive…" she whispered, assured. That contented her for the time being, but that didn't mean he was forgiven. She'd spent years designing that mainframe, and in one day, he'd completely decimated her work. _Really, Seto, really?_ If only to save her sanity, she let out a laugh. How positively ridiculous. _Of all the ways to go… I suppose it's only natural. We're both pretty destructive when we want to be. The past wasn't much better, it's probably meant to be._

Kisara sighed, rubbing her forehead. She really shouldn't have expected any less. _Anyways, back to the duel._

With Impostor Kaiba having summoned the Blue Eyes White Dragon, Yami was at an extreme disadvantage. There wasn't a monster in his deck that could rival the might of a single one, let alone three if he managed to get them on the field. The Pharaoh was only lucky he'd managed to summon his favorite monster, but with Impostor Kaiba having destroyed his Curse of Dragon, his life points were dropping significantly…

 _Seto… Yami... What are you going to do? Mokuba's life could depend on this duel!_ And from where Kisara was, there was nothing she could do to help them.

Then he played Magical Hats.

.

"Huh? What the hell is that?" Having crashed the Industrial Illusions' mainframe, Seto had gained access into the computer, but problems continued to rise. He'd overseen every duel on the island, but the search for the Dark Magician had proved fruitless. As it turned out, a variety of viruses arose whenever Yami's cards were searched for, leading him to where he was now.

"Its a… Virtual fortress," his computer answered, sounding rather unnerved. "Sensors indicate that all of the data from Yami's duels are processed here." It locked onto to the main doors of the fortress, an ominous pair of steel metal without a doorknob. Whatever was in there was meant to stay inside, apparently. "You won't blow your way through this thing," it said. "It's the _ultimate_ defense, and it's impossible to penetrate without the password!"

Seto merely took it in stride. A passcode, was it? "If I know Pegasus, that egomaniac would never think that anyone would outsmart him and get this far. We're _going_ in."

His computer was dubious. "... The passcode?"

"Heh," he grunted. "'Pegasus'."

Within seconds, the doors swung open. "You were right about the password!" his computer exclaimed. "The virtual fortress has been unlocked! We now have access to Yugi's data, and it was just his turn!"

Despite the win, Seto knew that this was only the start. He had entire war to battle yet. "Pegasus thinks he can make up all the rules in this game, but he never could have imagined this brand new twist." His eyes hardened. " _I'm_ _back_."

.

"What?" Seto hissed, slamming his hands down in retribution. "Is this your idea of a joke?"

"I _never_ joke," his computer stated. An ironic statement, but a true one. "Sensors indicate that the opponent opposite Yami, is registered as 'Seto Kaiba'. And he's using _your_ deck!"

Having escaped by the nape of his neck, he hadn't had the time to grab his deck. Those stupid buffoons must've taken them with them on the way out. Probably as a type of assurance for his death. "Pegasus must have taken it," he growled. To think of that bastard having some _amateur_ wielding his deck made his blood boil. And to use his name was even more revolting. Impersonating Seto Kaiba wasn't something easily forgiven.

Ignoring his woes, it explained, "The duelists are tied and the Impostor has his second Blue Eyes White Dragon on the field. Yami defeated the first one using a combination of the Dark Magician and Magical Hats. He currently has five-hundred life points left and no cards in play. It's his move."

This wasn't good. "Without Exodia, he can't win. He doesn't have any cards in his deck that can defeat the Blue Eyes White Dragon, let alone _two_ of them…" What could he do now? Then it dawned on him.

"Well, then, I hope you have a plan!"

"Yes, but we've got to work fast. Yami will lose when the Blue Eyes White Dragon attacks on the next move unless we decrease his power from here." His. He'd just referred to the Blue Eyes as a male. As if he— _it_ were alive. _Dari… Darius_ …? Echoes resonated, and he nearly keeled over from the sudden explosion in his head. "Gah!" he cried out. He clutched at his forehead, helpless to combat whatever collided inside him. Then all at once, it was gone.

"Sir?" his computer called, almost worried. Almost. Impossible. These machines, these _holograms_ of game cards were fake. They were toys to be utilized, but never real. Never would they be real again. _What?_

"Sir!" it tried again, this time adamant. It snapped him out of his delusions. They meant nothing. "It's still Yami's move! What are we going to do?"

He shook his head. "We're going to upload a virus into that dragon's holo-computer." His voice returned, and along with it, his apathy. "That dragon's about to get sick. _Real_ _sick_." He didn't care. He _didn't_ care. That dragon didn't matter. It wasn't real, but his brother was.

"Standing by." All the data surrounding the Blue Eyes' hologram was displayed on the screen, along with its three-thousand attack point advantage. "But shouldn't we wait to see Yami's next move?"

"We can't afford risking Yami losing the duel," Seto practically spat out. There was no time, no risk he would dare in a situation like this. "Upload!" he commanded.

"Viral injection underway…" A pause, the release of baited breath, then Yami made his move. All too quickly. Damn it!

"I wish Yami had waited a few more seconds before moving!" Alarm coursed its way through his veins. If Yami lost, everything was over. Pegasus will have won, and KaibaCorp— _Enough!_ "Isn't there anything you can do to get that computer virus uploaded _faster_?"

"We're already halfway there, this is as fast as it goes!" A single percent took too much time. Why was it taking so long? Tinted blue from the lights, Seto Kaiba felt a shot of fear run free through his blood, a cold, dreadful needle of ice that chilled him to the bone.

"Viral implant at sixty percent," his computer informed him. He barely heard it. "But it doesn't seem to be working! The Blue Eyes White Dragon is still showing no signs of weakness!"

Seto stared frantically at the screen, restless, yet terrified to move. "Something is wrong!"

.

Kisara's grin was positively wicked at the sight before her eyes. She shot up from her seat, joyous. He'd done it! The Blue Eyes White Dragon's attack power was decreasing—slowly—but decreasing nevertheless.

"What are you waiting for?" Impostor Kaiba demanded. "ATTACK!" The hologram's definition was paling, random holes forming through its metallic scales and throttling up to the sky. White light. Then it began to melt, his mighty roar a call to his real owner, as if to thank him for the job. To take him back, even if it meant his defeat.

"Ah!" Yami awed, watching the attack power drop. "I don't believe it!"

The Impostor was far from happy. "What's going on? My Blue Eyes..!"

"Not _your_ dragon, I'm afraid," Kisara said, beaming. "Darius belongs to Seto Kaiba these days."

.

"The virus is taking effect. The Blue Eyes White Dragon's attack power is beginning to drop!"

 _It's not enough!_ "But it's still too strong!" he answered, knowing that this was his most treasured card. He'd done everything in his power to obtain it. Now he was doing everything to destroy it. _It doesn't matter!_ "It has to get weaker, or it'll still beat Yami!"

"The attack power is dropping rapidly. The virus implant is successfully disabling the monster completely!"

"Alright." He breathed a calming breath, forcing himself to draw on anything other than anxiety. "Now let's work on dragon number three—" Suddenly the screen blurred, random pink rabbits popping out of nowhere. The wretched little creatures, he'd always loathed those things. They were everywhere!

Seto ground his teeth in frustration. "It's Pegasus."

They knew he was still alive, still in his house. He only had minutes, if even.

"Attack power is holding at two-thousand," his computer informed him.

His eyes widened. "But this should've worked!"

He wasn't given any time to think of a solution because the next thing he knew, it said, "The Blue Eyes White Dragon is now launching its attack." He slammed his fists down onto the keys, numb to the pain. Apathetic to himself in that moment. All he cared about was Yami.

NO!

NO.

No!

No.

"YAMI!" he called, a piercing shattering type of cry.

Then… From across a blank void, an immortal power ascended from a broken bond thought forgotten by the universe itself.

And it awakened for the first time in three millennia.

.

 _YAMI!_

Yami gasped, "Kaiba?"

White, hot light thrashed in his direction before it shattered completely. Wind roared in his ears, awakening some forgotten force, and a burning fire emerged in his heart.

Yami's shock was evident, feeling a new warmth in his chest. "It stopped… The dragon!" The Blue Eyes continued to fall, seemingly melting from some virtual heat. But Yami didn't think it was something so simple. Not after what he'd felt.

.

"The Blue Eyes White Dragon is destroyed, but the virus was not responsible!"

Seto was taken aback. "But _how_?" he whispered. "Did Yami Muto somehow do this?"

"How could he?" his computer asked, as if it were obvious. "It's _your_ deck."

Maybe from exhaustion, maybe from being in an hysterical shock by seeing his dragon defeated by seemingly _nothing_ , he considered the possibility. No, he realized. He saw it as the _only_ possibility. "It's the… Heart of the Cards." His breathing was labored. "Yami he… He was right."

Then the door opened.

.

"Be reborn! Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

The Impostor cringed at the sight of his former dragon, but managed not to squirm under Yami's heavy gaze. "Not a lotta good that's gonna do you! Both of these monsters are evenly matched!"

Yami's eyes narrowed. "Their powers are not the same." That was when the Impostor paled, or perhaps, greened. "You forgot about my Mystical Elf. She's been chanting a spell since I put her on the field. It allows for her to transfer her own attack power to any other monster I choose!"

"NO! This can't be!"

Yami leaned back, a signature pose that ascertained his confidence. "This move was inspired by Seto Kaiba _himself_ ," he continued. "He showed me you can alter a Blue Eyes White Dragon's attack power, but this time I'm going to raise it, unlike what Kaiba did to his own."

"NO!" the Monster shrieked.

"Consider this a message from the real Seto Kaiba!" Yami said. "Now Blue Eyes… OBLITERATE!" White light thrashed against his opponent, and Yami knew it was real. The power, the light, the meaning. Everything. It was all real. He'd theorized, but now he believed in it. The Millennium Items held a power long forgotten by humanity, but a power he would someday learn.

The ancient seal of Horus blazed on his forehead, gleaming with sacred magic. "Pegasus!" he called into the void, honing a mythical power thought lost. "I sense that you are watching. Consider this a warning: Nothing you send against me will stop me! And when we finally duel, _believe me_ , victory will me mine! I'll win back my grandfather's soul and you will pay consequence for all the people you've hurt. In the name of your sick, little game, I'm coming for you, Pegasus!"

 _._

Kisara couldn't help but smile a bit. Though Mokuba had been snatched away, she could still break him out again. It wouldn't be too much trouble. But what she smiled for was for the awakening of a bond set aside for three millennia. And the Pharaoh was really back. What power… His father would've been so proud to see him like this today. A tear of pure pride and gratitude flowed freely down her cheek.

"Oh, my Pharaoh, may you defeat my father and gain your rightful title once again… May you forever be… The King of Games."

.

.

.

 **King of Dragons**

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _And there's chapter four. It was going to end up with Seto and Kisara finally meeting, but that'll take longer, and this is late enough as it is. Perhaps next week we shall have them meet. Trust me when I say, It's hard to write them not being together. It's rather dull, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter though! Until then._

 _And review, lovely readers! Constructive criticism is happily read by yours truly._

 _Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


	5. Arc I, Chapter IV: Find You

**Official _King of Dragons_ Summary:**

Kisara remembers bits and pieces. Games. Guardians. Golden items. Her life. The others' lives. And she's the only one. Seto Kaiba doesn't. Yugi Muto doesn't. Then the clock starts the day Yami Muto completes the Millennium Puzzle, drawing three thousand years worth of magic into the present time, and the ultimate shadow game begins. Everyone returns for the final showdown in modern Japan. Five years worth of journeys, disbelief, history, and loves that spanned lifetimes in the making... It all starts now. Duelist Kingdom through Millennium World retold. _Blueshipping_

.

 **King of Dragons**

 **Arc I: Duelist Kingdom**

 **Chapter IV**

 **Find You**

.

 _"Silent love is calling faith to shatter me through your hallways,_

 _Into echoes you can feel, and rehearse the way you heal…_

 _Make them dance, just like you, 'cause you make me move. Yeah, you always make me go…_

 _I'll run away with your footsteps, I'll build a city that dreams for two,_

 _And if you lose yourself, I will find you..."_

-Zedd

.

Seto Kaiba was a little more than a wreck. Having narrowly escaped imprisonment once again from those lunatic goons, he'd secured himself in the underground caverns beneath his house. They'd been constructed for moments just like that, and luckily, he'd kept some of his older projects down there. Projects that included a helicopter of his own design. He might've only tested it once before his usurpation of KaibaCorp, but it had made due. There'd been no other way out of that hell hole without being captured. And for what it was worth, he was damn good at improving.

As it was, Seto was tense in his seat, eyes straining against his exhaustion, yet alert and prepared for the slightest provocation in the skies. He'd probably been awake two full days, perhaps three. Hours had become nothing more than imagery floating through space, irrelevant to the mission at hand. The basic utilities were also a paradise he couldn't afford now, not when Pegasus had caused the world he'd conquered to fall to ruin.

But even still, it was hard to believe that the tides had turned away from him. Again.

 _I can't believe all my business associates turned on me after a single defeat._ That was a lie. Those backstabbing opportunists had probably been waiting for a moment of weakness for a while… _Then again… Losing to Yami has shaken my self-confidence too._

A spiky haired pipsqueak from out of nowhere had come to beat him, the reigning World Champion, The King of Dragons… The title barely had any merit anymore, but it was too beloved to just hand over. The Blue Eyes White Dragons had saved him, become apart of his center, his core. They blazed through the darkest pits the world had to offer. And seeing them on the opposite corner had made him believe for more than a moment that the Heart of the Cards actually existed… But what mattered before no longer survived in his heart. He shook his head.

Apathy consoled him best on most days.

 _Maybe Yami was right, but I can't start second-guessing myself now. Not when Pegasus has kidnapped my little brother Mokuba._ His grip tightened on the controls. His little brother was facing a life or death situation, and it was his own fault. He'd left him alone when he'd been vulnerable, and by being vulnerable, Pegasus had made his intentions clear. By showing vulnerability, there was no helping his brother. What Yami Muto believed didn't matter anymore. All that did was his little brother.

 _If I'm going to face off against Pegasus, I'll have to rely on my old dueling instincts. That's the only chance I have of freeing Mokuba._

And once Mokuba was out of harm's way, he would unleash his wrath upon the vultures who'd dared to conspire together and take over his company. Seto growled low to himself, his rage caged deep inside, flowing through his blood in hot, burning inferno of unprecedented holocaust. Had the white-haired _freak_ honestly thought he'd just sit idly by while they dismantled his life's work? What naivety.

In that moment, Duelist Kingdom came into view upon the eloping waves of night, slashing against the remains of a cliffside. Cobalt orbs darkened to a defining degree of raw ambition.

 _And I'll see to it that every one of them will regret ever crossing Seto Kaiba._

.

With Yami having won the duel against the Imposter, and Seto no where in reach, Mokuba had been captured for a second time. It was a rather disheartening prospect, but Kisara knew how to deal with repercussions relatively well. She could bounce back from anything, really. Resilience was practically her middle name.

Albeit, instead of the high tower in the eastern section of the castle, Mokuba's cell was located in the deepest depths of the prison ward. No one had gone down there in decades as far as she knew.

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

She'd come to find water leakage was a common sight in the dungeons. Perhaps one day she'd restore it to its original grandeur, but until she became CEO, the problem would fester and worsen with time.

In truth, before Kisara had descended to the ancient prison, she'd had to page through official blueprints to help find the younger Kaiba. She'd may have gone down there as a child once or twice, but her father would always put stories into her head about how the shadows wreaked havoc upon those who stayed down there for too long. So really, he'd used the scare tactic to keep her well away from the prisons all her life. Though curiosity had struck down on several occasions, never had she fully allowed herself to travel down to the foul place. And if her father's journals were to be trusted, there were several accounts of mold and rot that hadn't been expunged after the initial move. Though naturally curious by design, Kisara had shied away from the place, but no longer.

In her mind she followed the prison layout. Perhaps due to the sudden usage, there were lit torches along the cavernous walls, so a flashlight was left in her chambers. Besides, a flashlight would alert anyone within any moderate distance of her arrival, and she most certainly did not want that.

Deception was key.

"Kisara?"

Sapphire orbs went wide. She'd almost passed him by! If her calculation were correct, this was cell 214, some hundred feet below sea-level and on the western side. She stored the information in the safe reaches of her conscious, knowing she'd need to remember it.

"Moku!" she called, softly. She pressed her face against the steel bars, rust and soot staining her cheeks. "Gods, I finally found you. They've trapped you in the deepest section of the island. I doubt even the caverns could rival this place."

Braced against the wall nearest her, shackles adorned both wrists, leaving reddening abrasions on his once porcelain skin. Dust adorned his once cleanly figure in a sweeping maul of blackest ebony, and his expression was weary and tired. The poor boy was in dire need of escape. Sadly, she didn't know if she could break him out of here without being detected. Guards were stationed along the outside perimeter and patrolled the surrounding forest perhaps a mile wide. She'd barely got in herself!

"I'm just glad to see you," he said with a slight upturn of his mouth, but the smile was gone before she could really notice. "Kemo left me down here a few hours ago to rot, and no one's been back since. There's no getting out of this one, is there?"

"I'm… Not certain as of yet," Kisara admitted, her shoulders slumping. "I'll have to look over things for at least another day or so before even attempting something drastic. I'm lucky I'm here now." Guilt clawed her senseless. "Oh, Moku, I'm so sorry this happened… But I swear, I will get you out of here. You put your trust in me, and I will follow through. I just need a little more time to sort things out before I bust you out of here."

"I get it, Kisara," Mokuba sighed. "This isn't exactly supposed to be easy. I doubt even my brother could do much better, given the circumstances. Speaking of my brother, do you know where he is?"

She shook her head. "He's been off the radar since he completely obliterated the Industrial Illusions' satellite yesterday afternoon."

"He _what_?"

Despite it all, Kisara managed a smile. "While attempting to bring down the Imposter's Blue Eyes, he hacked into my father's satellite and sent it hurling from space towards HQ. The wreckage is currently being sorted through, but anyways, he used the satellite to quite literally create the biggest computer crash anyone has ever seen, and presumed to access a number files to ensure Yami's victory."

Mokuba cracked a smile. "That sounds like my Big Bro…"

"Yeah, well, trust me when I say he'll get the biggest bashing ever allowed by law for completely ruining years of my work, but yeah, this type of aggression sounds a lot like Seto Kaiba to me too."

Mokuba snorted in amusement, "And here I thought it would be impossible to make you angry."

"He ruined _years_ worth of coding in a matter of seconds!" Kisara hissed, keeping her voice low. "Who _wouldn't_ be angry?"

Mirth sway in those violet orbs, and he said, "I'll give him a good word bashing too, don't worry. Hell, I might even come and help you with it once this chaos is through. For what you've done, I owe you."

She was grateful for his gratitude. "You owe me nothing, Moku," she assured him, then remembered why else she came here. "Oh, right! You're probably starving by now. Here, its freshly made, and probably reminds you a little of home. I figure you've got to be a little homesick being stuck in dungeons and towers for as long as you have."

His entire figure glowed with the prospect of food. She probably should've given him some when she'd first helped him escape. She sweatdropped at the thought. He'd probably been without food for over three days, maybe more. How careless of her…

She gave him a small bentou box filled with meats and rices, and the boy dug in like his life depended on it… He'd even forgone the nice set of chopsticks she'd brought along, but she could hardly blame him. She probably would've had the same reaction had the roles been reversed. The thought was… Disheartening…

After all that had transpired in Egypt, seeing her precious Moku like this was devastating. Set would've brought along an entire arsenal of duel monsters to save his adoptive sibling. And with her at his side, they would've completely demolished the front doors and ransacked the place, demanding their beloved Moku back. Back then, displays of power would've certainly worked well against any ordinary person like what her father had been, but now… Stealth was the only option until backup arrived.

Determined, Kisara reached through the bars separating them and held out her hand. The boy stilled and reached for her as well, and their fingertips barely scraped by one another, but it solidified her resolve. Her father's games were through. When Seto returned, she would stand beside him like she'd always done in the past. She was sick of the shadows, they'd never been her home abode anyway.

It nearing the time to act.

.

Of all the damnable people on the forsaken spit of rock that was Duelist Kingdom, he just had to have landed in the exact spot where Yami Muto and his cohorts made camp. Irony had real sense of humor. There had to be at least some hundred duelists on the island, and he'd just happened to stumble upon the one section that housed these miscreants. Really. That happened.

When he first got there, Yami detached himself from the dweeb crew and approached him, keeping at a distance and remained polite despite their situations. The teen even gave him his deck back before Seto had uttered a single word. Then he'd thanked him for helping him win his duel against his Imposter, no questions or explanations required. He made no mention of what terms they were on exactly, but the feeling of intense and mutual respect glimmered in the atmosphere between them despite all pretenses otherwise.

Seeing his deck for the first time in days, Seto uttered a quiet, "Thanks…" and placed it back in his pocket for safekeeping.

Then whatever semblance of harmony shattered when his friends came into the picture.

The friendship speeches. The nonsense. Then one of Yami's friends—Katsuya Jonouchi, was it?—intervened on impulse, describing what exactly _they_ were fighting for, and grabbed him by the collar. Overanxious and already at his wits' end, Seto did not have the time, let alone the patience to deal with a stupid dog barking in his face, rambling about how Pegasus was the cause of all their troubles.

"Nice grip," Seto growled. "Now let me show you mine." Barely a second past before Jou landed the ground as though he was a spec of dust on his shoulder.

Katsuya then made the mistake of rattling off about his skill as a duelist. That was very, very big mistake. So Seto decided to make this bleach blonde idiot the guinea pig for his newest dueling system, and spared him a glance, only half listening to his ceaseless ramblings of glory and purpose.

It didn't take long for him to overpower the pathetic dog.

"Your Red Eyes Black Dragon is a powerful dragon." The duel disk system had gone well for its first test run. It was good to know he still had it after his lapse in confidence.

Then he drew him. It. His signature card blazed in his hand, and Seto was satisfied. He'd never bore of it, never. Time told of its greatest powers— _What_? Seto waved those graceless thoughts away, resorting to his corrigible arrogance to compensate. "But its ferocity pales in comparison to mine!" From the sidelines, he heard a hmph from Yami, and gasp from Yugi. The twins must've known of the inevitable.

He placed the card on the disk and swung it out onto the field. "The legendary Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

.

It was around say… Three in the morning when Kisara awoke. Jolted from her already fitful slumber, she bolted upright in bed, her clothes wrinkled from having slept in them by accident. Her computer laid in the opposite end of her room, twitch and beeping about something she couldn't identify from her bed. Tearing back the covers, Kisara immediately ran to her desk. Goosebumps swept along her legs after her feet hit the floor and a shiver sliced down her spine not a second later. Chilled, her fingers stumbled and had to rewrite the password several times before she got it right.

Igniting her frame in a hue of bright blue, Kisara's heart nearly stopped, then it accelerated into a frenzy of chaotic beats, wild enough that she vaguely wondered if it was about to explode.

"Seto… You…"

After Yami's duel, she'd made sure that whenever the Blue Eyes White Dragon was summoned from any device around the world, her computer would have an instant alert and location system. And now, it was telling her that Blue Eyes White Dragon had just been summoned on the southernmost tip of Duelist Kingdom! Yami would never even consider using someone else's deck, let alone Seto's, so it had to be Seto Kaiba himself.

Even more, she could sense his presence. It was closer than it had been in over a year.

Grinning from ear to ear, she asked her computer to grant her access into the video feed around that area, and there she witnessed the might of the Blue Eyes White Dragon, newly summoned and gleaming in the moonlight. He was positively glorious. He then made a mighty roar before Seto himself declared, "White Lightning attack, now!"

With that, the duel was seemingly over. And he'd beaten… Jou? The natural blonde then fell to his knees, and Kisara felt for him. The two had never seen eye to eye, even in ancient times, and for all the times Joseph tried, he'd never been able to beat Set. She wondered how this duel started exactly… Then again, if Jou was anything like his incarnate, it had to have been from blatantly telling Seto off. Never a good idea.

"That's right, Katsuya, stay down," Seto mocked. "Stay down like the sniveling, defeated dog I've turned you into."

"Are you alright, Jou?" Yugi exclaimed, rushing to his side. Yami strode slowly over, before placing a silent hand of his friend's shoulder. The action was enough to bring on a bout of tears to Jou's eyes, and Kisara knew that the simple gesture meant far more than just a reassuring tap. It meant everything.

Conversationally, Seto added, "I'd say my duel disk system as proved quite effective. Not only did its stunning realism charge Katsuya into complete and utter submission, but just look at him, he's moping like a frightened dog with his tail between his legs…" He paused, and his expression darkened ever further. "Which is exactly how I intend to leave Pegasus."

"But…" Yugi looked heartbroken. "This is _Jonouchi_."

"Kaiba," Yami called, those crimson orbs flashing. A standoff between the two princes of Ancient Egypt caused pin-ripples to course down her spine all over again. "That is quite enough. You've had your fun, now it's time to leave."

Yami's tone brooked no room for argument, although Seto seemed all the more willing to oblige. "With pleasure." He'd probably wanted out of there from the moment he stepped out onto the grass. "I'll see you around, Yami."

Kisara froze. It probably would've appeared as a polite farewell had his words not been coated in obvious foreshadow.

Then Yami called after him, startling everyone. The freak tension was almost palpable between the two Egyptian princes, but Seto merely stared off into the underbrush, waiting. It was probably the most respect he'd give anyone, the ability to be heard. Had it been anyone else, he probably would've just walked away. But not on Yami. Their rivalry stood the course of time, transcending through many millennia worth of pause and broke through ordinary bonds that were only meant to last a mere lifetime. But not theirs. And they both felt it, Kisara knew, perhaps even acknowledged it somewhat… But those days were ahead, in a future time. For now, their relationship was stuck in neutral, between friendship and loathing. It always started like this.

"I hope you find your brother," the Pharaoh said, much more gently. "I understand what it means to lose someone close because of Pegasus."

"And I hope you succeed in your ventures." Seto spared him a glance, the foreshadow gone and all that remained was a lethal warning, "Let's just hope our paths don't cross until all this is over." With a final nod, Seto Kaiba was lost to the darkness.

Kisara clicked out of the window, and turned away from her computer. There weren't any cameras within a mile's distance of Yami's current location, and the Pharaoh didn't need her supervision to survive. He'd be fine. It was Seto she worried about. Until he got to the castle, he was still on his own. She was just content that he'd finally made it here, alive and relatively unscathed.

And she'd be there once he returned. Waiting. Always, forevermore.

Waiting.

"You'll find me," Kisara whispered, a touch of wistfulness contorting her voice with the fringes of rue. "You always do."

.

By mid-afternoon, Seto had made good progress, and the castle had finally reached his line of sight. _I've got to be on my guard, his goons are everywhere…_ His strides quickened. _But they won't stop me. Nothing will. Mokuba's life's at stake. And nothing's more important than my little brother. After our parents died, I promised I'd always take care of him, and I will. He's always looked up to me… And I won't disappoint him. Now now. Not ever._

"So," a voice hummed, and Seto stopped dead in his tracks. "It's Seto Kaiba, searching for your little brother, no doubt. It's been a long time, _Mr. Kaiba_." Kemo, one of his old bodyguards stepped out of the forest's shadows, holding a gun. At this point, nothing surprised him. Kemo's betrayal was just another aspect of this wretched game Pegasus created, not that he'd ever cared for the meathead anyway.

But Seto stilled regardless. The crackle of tree branches and the rustling of windswept greenery were an orchestra of sonorous proportions in his ears. They were the only thing he heard in his otherwise muted surroundings. Then the barrel the gun scraped against his temple, cold and scratchy. The smell of metal assaulted his senses. Or was it that cretin's wretched hair gel? His nostrils flared, but Seto remained frozen.

"It's too bad we had to meet again under circumstances like this," Kemo continued, not at all sounding remorseful. Seto wanted to snort, but he complied nevertheless, and put his hands up.

The man then said, "I'm going to take you to Mr. Pegasus, now."

Such a statement was amusing. "And you think I'll just go willingly?"

"If you refuse, I'll have to use force." The agitation was clear, he wanted Seto to know the meaning of fear. _Not likely, spike-head._

" _Well_ ," Seto drawled, a smirk tearing at his lips. "Why don't you just _try it_."

"Die then." Kemo's fingers twitched to pull the trigger, but Seto was quicker. Always quicker.

Having been the reigning Champion of Duel Monsters, Seto could hardly have made his way without learning a few card tricks. Besides, dying wasn't exactly on this agenda today. With natural deftness at his disposal, he flicked his wrist and sliced out a card from his sleeve. The card darted in Kemo's direction, perfectly where he wanted it. Of course, the card landed right in the cock of the gun, rendering it completely useless. He then did to Kemo what he'd done to Jou earlier this morning, snatching the guard's wrist and throwing him to the ground. The gun fell, and Seto made sure to grab it.

And the irony of which card he'd thrown was not lost on him. The Goddess of Reversal.

"It looks like you made me damage one of my rarer cards," Seto muttered darkly. "You will definitely be in a world of hurt once I'm through with Pegasus."

He shoved Kemo aside, and whatever semblance the moron had must've completely left him, because he actually had the audacity to run at him again. In a fitful rage, he charged. What stupidity.

Lowering himself just in time, Seto elbowed the larger man in the stomach. Kemo practically went limb, and fell. Again. What a waste of precious time.

" _You're_ coming with _me_."

He then twisted Kemo's arm, and knew him was no longer a threat. "Now, you're going to help me find Mokuba." He jerked his chin in the direction of that sickening palace. "And you're going to start by getting me into that castle." His heart darkened. He knew exactly what had to happen next. "Before that, you're going to take me to _Kisara Pegasus_." If there was one advantage Seto would have over the Creator of Duel Monsters, it would be with his only daughter, the prestigious Queen of Dragons. It was the only possible chance of a equal trade-off. If that girl meant anything to Pegasus, anything at all, he might just be able to save Mokuba.

And that was all that mattered.

So he held Kemo at gunpoint, and Seto followed the reluctant guide to the door hidden at the base of the castle. Kemo typed in a number passcode, and the door opened automatically. There, darkness encroached him and he bit back a flinch.

The dark had never been his home abode… At least, not anymore.

.

Kisara was once again awoken from her slumber by means of a clamoring beep, resonating from her computer. With all the chaos going on, she'd maybe gotten four, five hours of sleep at best. Surveillance was a continuous job, she'd learned. But that didn't matter anymore. Crystalline sapphire orbs widened, and she immediately straightened in her seat, having fallen asleep at her desk for the umteenth time this week.

"'Seto Kaiba' detected," her computer continuously repeated. "'Seto Kaiba' detected." Sure enough, his profile appeared in the camera feed, Kemo only a few steps ahead. There was also a gun pointed at the guard's head. Her breath hitched, and she quickly encoded a constant replay of the vacant hall to ensure that the men in the surveillance room couldn't see him. She gulped.

Now that he was finally here, she had to get him and Mokuba out of here. Fast. Thankfully, the tournament was in full swing so the halls were completely vacant and devoid of her father's guards. Really, no one should know that Seto Kaiba was even here, but with her father's intellect and Millennium Eye, it was impossible to be assured of anything.

What exactly did he intend on doing? Surely, he expected some form of resistance? Her father wasn't stupid, Seto knew that, so what was his plan? All that desperation he must've felt… What was he doing to do? If he wanted a trade-off between Kemo and Mokuba, the CEO was going to be sourly disappointed, but Seto was methodical and bred to be what he was. What was his plan..?

It was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her head. Suddenly, she knew _exactly_ what his intentions were.

Tracking his current location within the castle, she saw he was only a story below her chambers and getting closer. Kemo was _leading_ him to her.

"Oh, Seto…" she breathed. "If only you knew. If only."

She'd have to obtain his trust now, and quickly. Show him the intimacy between them that spanned so many years of lost time. Would he understand? Would be feel _anything_? She'd have to try, but would the sheer ambition and raw loathing thrumming through his blood distract him from the truth? She swallowed thickly. She had no idea.

But she'd have to try.

He was closing in, perhaps mere steps from her chambers' door, and Kisara would make her position clear. She would not fear him, she doubted that she even could, and she would present who the Queen of Dragons _really_ was.

The door was thrown open like the flash of a whip, and a sharp _thwack_ erupted from the wall, bounding into her ears. He was here. And she smiled.

"You know," Kisara sang, swiveling her chair around to face him. "It's quite rude to point a gun at someone's head." And there stood Seto himself, standing a mere step behind a furious-looking Kemo. He was all light, shadow, and a vast variety of blue, just like she remembered him.

Then those cold pair of cobalt slapped in her direction, clear and deadly, prepared for a death match as necessary, and so did his gun. Seto Kaiba was not to be trifled with. But Kisara wasn't his enemy, and he'd soon learn as such. For the sake of making light of this wholly murderous situation, Kisara smiled as though nothing was amiss.

Seto's expression changed. It softened only slightly, but rather than honing a warming quality, it became all the more apathetic. Well, she supposed, it was better than before, but it was his eyes that changed. Familiar. But the gun never wavered from his grip, not that she'd expected it to. That would be wishful thinking.

"And it's rather rude to eavesdrop, Ms. Pegasus, but you and I both know that it can come in handy, _can't it_?" He indicated at the massive computer situated behind her desk, her own personal surveillance station, but Kisara barely heard him. His voice was effortlessly sensual, and so much like his incarnate. A shot of adrenaline rushed through her blood, and a smile sparkled on her lips. It was as if he expected her to have theif-like tendencies. It was rather true, she did have a knack with intel and secrets, though she'd learned that from the best himself, long, long ago, but she only utilized her talents when it aided the Millennium Court. It was not out of selfishness that she retrieved data, rather it was to assist those she cared about, namely Seto Kaiba himself, not that he would know of it, of course, but…

"True enough," she agreed, standing up. "Although, I do have the idea that putting a gun to someone's head is far ruder."

"Ms. Pegasus—"

"I'd rather you not call me that," she interrupted, a bit rueful. "As we are the reigning monarchs of the same title, I do not think formalities are in order. How about it, Seto?"

He pursed his lips. She doubted he allowed anyone other than Mokuba spoke to him so informally. Familiarly.

He unlatched the safety. "Fine the, _Kisara_." Now, all that stood between her and a projectile bullet were her words and her faith.

And though he spoke her name in mocking, she couldn't help the radiant smile that spread across her lips. "Also, I'm really not much of a threat to you." She winked, waving a hand in dismissal. "I'd worry more about Kemo if I were you. His bindings are nearly broken through."

He cocked his head to the side. "And why should I believe you?"

The smile wavered, and grim determination set in. "Because I want my father out of power as much as you do," Kisara told him, point blank. "And well, what else exactly to you intend on doing? You may have a gun and a pair of hostages, but a single gun does nothing against an army, and my father—despite how terrible it sounds—wouldn't care if I were dead. He's far too gone to care about my life anymore."

She'd learned to accept the fact that her father didn't care about her. It had merely been another challenge that was her life, but she'd overcome the misery of lacking a committed father. The one in her past life brought her enough solace to at least bite back the pain. It was also the plain, simple truth of this entire situation.

Seto's glare could've cut clean through steel, and his eyebrow twitched in irritation. His rescue mission was stalled. He'd gotten far, but the last leg was always the hardest.

"You're his _daughter_ ," Seto growled. Perhaps he wanted to believe in some fraction in humanity in her father, but that wasn't true at all. He needed to find a way to reach Mokuba. Nothing more.

Kisara shook her head, somber. "My father doesn't care about me... He hasn't for a long time. I'm merely here because I've owned up to being a great duelist and a decent heiress for his company. If I were gone, he'd find a replacement." In their hearts, they both knew it was true. It bounded between them, the feelings. The strange, enigmatic and automatic understanding.

"We can help each other, you know," she tried, softer this time. She dared a step further. "I'm hardly without talent, but something tells me you're already aware of my reputation."

He wasn't budging, and it hurt a bit. "I also know where your little brother is being held," she added quietly.

That woke him up. His fingers tightened on the gun, and he shot into motion. He didn't stop until the barrel of the gun hit the center of her forehead. Sapphire met cobalt in a myriad of blues, colliding across time and space and Kisara's smile became a marvelous heartbreak on her lips. How long had it been since they'd stood this close? If ever?

"Don't play with me," he spat, and Kisara noticed just how exhausted he was. Dulled violets were smeared under his lashes, and everything was a bit more pronounced in his features. She wanted to help, wanted to wash away the pain, but couldn't. "I'm done with the games."

Oh, how wrong he was. This game had only just begun. She couldn't even begin to imagine where fate would take them, but that was left to the future to decide. Until then, she would strengthen their shattered bond piece by piece.

Slowly, as to not trigger his already rampant rage, she raised her hand and dared a very precarious move. She cupped one of his cheeks, feeling the softness of his skin for the first time and the stubble of his chin. Had it been any other day, she would've laughed at her own forwardness, but all that remained were ancient remains of a life long past.

"I'm not playing any games," she whispered softly, carefully and suppressed all the emotions that flared in her _very being_ by being near him. "I want to help you."

"You—"

Her gaze flicked to the side, the emotions lost in a moment of desperation. "To your left," she whispered.

Perhaps on complete impulse, derived by thousands of years fighting side by side, he trusted her for a split second. Just long enough to save both their hides. In the beginning, that same urgency had drawn them together too. Seto swung the gun to his left, smashing Kemo's jaw. A sickening crack reverberated throughout the chamber, and the guard stumbled a bit, before falling to the floor in a heap, unconscious.

"Do you trust me now?" Kisara asked thereafter, her brows knit. "As you can see, I would prefer to have you get out of here alive, Seto."

She saw his begrudging defiance, and he quickly snarled, "I still have a chance if I bring you to Pegasus."

Kisara glanced away, to the sunlight outside, but the radiance soothed her for only a second. "You don't like gambling when the odds are completely stacked against you. You're good at appearing to, but you've always had the better cards up your sleeve. Mostly you like to hide them until the time is right, but now isn't one of those times. Especially when you know that what I'm saying is true."

Without warning, he grabbed at he chin and forced her to look at him. She didn't flinch at his forcefulness, but confidence and truth swept throughout her expression in an obvious display of defiance to his disbelieving sadism. It was also an act of aggression against a man who demanded compliance to his every command. It was a clash of wills and dizzying blues. Neither looked away for a long time, taking it in and following through with an age old destiny.

Finally, he let her go, but his impatience was obvious enough, and so was the gun still aimed in her direction. "Take me to my brother."

She put her hands on her hips, and smiled knowingly. "You know, one day you'll really regret pointing that thing at me."

"Until I see that you're not a threat, I'll do as I please."

In response, she and grabbed one of her over-the-shoulder messenger bags, and pulled out her laptop. She doubted she'd be back here until all this madness was over, so she'd use it as an excuse to locate Mokuba. She'd probably need the resources once they high-tailed it out of the castle. So she pulled up a map of the ancient prisons, and set to work on the video camera in the halls they'd use.

Seto observed over her shoulder, making sure she wasn't doing anything she shouldn't. Sighing at his obvious distrust in her, she shut down surveillance system and stood from her seat, laptop in hand. On it, were the blueprints of the underground dungeons.

"Shall we go?" she inquired. "I think I have a general idea of where your brother is being held." If he didn't believe her before, there was no way he'd believe she'd tried to help his brother escape. The truth would have to wait.

"Just go," he bit out.

Despite how everything had gone wrong, despite everything in the world drawing them apart and together all at once, Kisara smiled and moved forward.

.

.

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 **King of Dragons**

 **Author's Note:**

 _And there's chapter chapter five. Seto and Kisara have finally met once again, and this time with some relative knowledge of their past lives too… Next chapter will revolve around Yami and Seto's duel. The one after that will have Kaiba's duel versus Pegasus, then the epilogue for ARC I. So yes, three more chapters until Battle City begins! That's also where we'll get more characters hanging around, as well as Yami and Yugi's reflections of Duelist Kingdom. I've specifically waited to introduce their perspectives until Battle City because then one character arrives that changes everything! Wanna guess who it is, dear reader? Until next time! And a special thanks to lalalei for correcting me!_

 _Sequel of the story, "Queen of Dragons."_

 _Please review!_

 _Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


	6. Arc I, Chapter V: I Will Not Bow

**Official** _ **King of Dragons**_ **Summary:**

Kisara remembers bits and pieces. Games. Guardians. Golden items. Her life. The others' lives. And she's the only one. Seto Kaiba doesn't. Yugi Muto doesn't. Then the clock starts the day Yami Muto completes the Millennium Puzzle, drawing three thousand years worth of magic into the present time, and the ultimate shadow game begins. Everyone returns for the final showdown in modern Japan. Five years worth of journeys, disbelief, history, and loves that spanned lifetimes in the making... It all starts now. Duelist Kingdom through Millennium World retold. _Blueshipping_

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 **King of Dragons**

 **Arc I: Duelist Kingdom**

 **Chapter V**

 **I Will Not Bow**

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" _I have lost the will to change,_

 _And I am not proud, cold-blooded fake,_

 _I will shut the world away. Open your eyes!_

 _I will not bow,_

 _I will not break, I will shut the world away,_

 _I will not fall, I will not fade,_

 _I will take your breath away."_

-Breaking Benjamin

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Kisara Pegasus was the only daughter of Cecelia and Maximillion Pegasus, born on the 30th of August seventeen years previous. As such, she was the heir of Industrial Illusions, and a born and bred duelist because of it. She was blessed with natural intellect and brilliance of the mind, apparently honed by years of study and personal research. Her specialties were numerous, and amongst the gaming aristocracy, she was revered as 'The Queen of Dragons'. Unquestionably, she was the greatest female duelist in the world. Not even Mai Kujaku or Mana Magi rivaled her, not that this girl was one to brag about her talents, of course, but it was a common fact.

So, for _a many_ of reasons, Seto Kaiba thought it boded well for him not to trust the girl. Add in the fact that she was the only daughter of an ambitious psychopath certainly didn't help either. But there was a relentless, nagging _echo_ that ricochet off the boundaries of his thought and collided with his logic in a very unlogical way. He didn't know what to feel, so he dived into the rivers of apathy to a secure location within himself. A place where petty emotions never overcame him. His mind. And he followed it.

Until Kisara Pegasus proved her compliance and openly opposed her father, he would use her as nothing more than a tool. He liked the 'guilty until proved innocent' theory on most days anyway. This way, there were no surprises.

"We should be almost there," the girl murmured, still mapping through the dungeon's molted corridors from the small screen of her computer.

In the shadows, a familiar voice whispered from the darkness, "... Is that you, Kisara?"

Seto didn't have the time to care about the fact that Mokuba had questioned for the bluenette of all people, for his emotions had otherwise clouded his apathy. He rushed over to the closest cell, having heard the voice he'd hoped to hear for so many days of trial and error. He knelt down, hands braced against the bars.

"No," Seto answered, his own voice raspy upon seeing his little brother for the first time in weeks. "It's me, kid."

"Seto!" The grimy twelve-year-old managed to make it halfway before a pair of chains prevented his escape. Chains. He knew a lot about those… _What_? Images shattered in his mind, but he thrusted them away. He blinked, and immediately saw violet orbs brimming with tears. "Oh, Big Brother! I knew you'd come for me! I just knew it!"

Seto's expression softened despite their current struggles. "Did you expect anything less?"

"Well, of course not!" Mokuba sputtered brightly. "You can do anything, Seto! You… You're the King of Dragons!"

The title struck a chord in him, one that he hadn't felt in a long time. "Yeah," he acknowledged slightly. "Yeah, I am."

It was then that the boy noticed Kisara's presence. "Oh, Kisara, it's you! You found him, didn't you? You brought my brother to me."

The blunette fashioned a smile as bright as the stars. "Yes, I did." It was then that he looked at her, and their gazes connected. Silently, instantly, he knew it was true. Her words before…

"Seto, Kisara's the one who's been helping me since day one! She nearly got me out of here before, but I kinda got trapped by Kemo and couldn't make it out…" He shook his head. "Either way, she's been helping me out for awhile, Bro. She's pretty resourceful, actually."

For only a moment, this startled him, but before he could voice any scrap of gratitude, a figure emerged from the blackened corridor. Above him, Kisara's stance went ridged. So there was a truth to what she'd said. His own hands tightened on the bars of the cell, and if Mokuba's terrified face spoke lengths, then Maximillion Pegasus had arrived. _Of course._

"Ah, Kaiba," Pegasus greeted, glowing with a certain amiable quality, as though they were speaking at some gala instead of the catacombs of an ancient dungeon. The man smiled, but there was no warmth in the gesture. "I knew you'd come for Mokuba... _Eventually_. And my dear daughter, Kisara, how _nice_ it is to see you. With the tournament going on I've barely been able to visit you, but something tells me you've been busy enough, haven't you, hmm?"

Kisara's glare lessened, but those blue orbs of hers held a dagger in them that dared to be crossed. "That would be an understatement."

"You knew I'd come, huh?" Seto interrupted, shooting to his feet as venomous fury blazed in his blood. "Well, _tell me_ something, Pegasus, did you also foresee what I'm about to do to you for harming my little brother?"

Hands in his pockets, back erect, attentive. Yet entirely relaxed. "Actually, Kaiba, I predict you won't lay a finger on me."

" _And why is that?_ " In comparison, Seto was tense and ready to spring.

Pegasus laughed, and metal gleamed a bright gold in the darkness, a mere flicker of light. Foreshadow crept along his spine, phantom claws raking down his skin. "Careful, Seto," Kisara murmured, keeping him at bay and in the present. She held out an arm, preventing him from throttling her bastard of a father where he stood. She glanced sidelong at him, as if knowing what would happen if he took a step further. Maybe she did. "Stay back."

Flames danced in their wick, crackling with fire. Seto felt that rage, but it burned _blue_.

Impatient, yet remaining behind the bluenette, he ground his teeth together. "You conniving snake!" Seto hissed. He was teetering on the edge of barreling through the girl, and staying grounded by her advice. "I should take you down right now for what you've done to Mokuba!"

Pegasus raised a silvery brown, not white, but _silver_. "Don't be ridiculous, Kaibaboy. In _my_ dungeon, in _my_ castle, and in _my_ realm, the only one who makes threats is _me_."

Opalescent light swarmed around them, dashes of gold flickering around the dismal corridor. Seto cast an arm over his eyes, protectively shielding whatever venomous light threatened to blind him. He heard Kisara gasp, but Mokuba's scream echoed along the cavernous stones in a bounding terror that thrashed in his bones. Upon opening his eyes, he immediately, unthinkingly snapped his head in Mokuba's direction. But his brother was already lost. Violet orbs were dulled and secluded, gone. Colossal fear gripped at him, along with the fringes of faint understanding. He'd seen this before… But... Carved in stone. _No!_

"You monster!" Seto growled, bordering on panic. " _What have you done to him?_ " But in his gut, he knew. He knew all too well.

Pegasus shrugged a single shoulder, light and airy. Meaningless. Dismissive. "It's just a little magic trick, isn't that right, Kisara dear?"

"No," she answered grimly. "What you've done is beyond simple magic, father. You've committed _treason_."

Ignoring the girl, Seto took a step forward and demanded, "Tell me, _what have you done?_ "

"I've ensured your cooperation," Pegasus responded cheerfully, as if recounting a fond old metaphor memorized by time. "For you see, Mokuba's soul is now imprisoned in a place where the locks _can't_ be picked."

It didn't make sense. Everything. Nothing. Magic and Souls and Hearts. "You're mad!"

"No, Seto," the girl shook her head, and knelt down to the stones, searching through a realm of shadow for his little brother. Her grip tightened on the bars, her voice rough with a decade's worth of bitterness. "He's corrupted by powers he can't control."

"And there he will remain," Pegasus continued, ignoring his daughter's mutterings. "Until you beat me in a duel."

"Duel? With you? Now? Fine." He didn't care about anything else. If it brought his brother back, it didn't matter. He'd do anything, resort to any edge or horizon to bring him back to safety.

Pegasus clearly found his desperation to be amusing, and Seto's bones shook with more emotions than he knew how to handle. "No, Kaiba, first you must earn the _right_ to challenge me. And you can only do that by beating Yami in a duel." In his peripheral, the blunette flinched. "And if you can't win against him, Mokuba's soul will stay mine, _forever_."

"No," she spoke suddenly, and shot to her feet. Millions of thoughts flashed through her eyes, even Seto saw it. "Have him—Have him duel _me_."

"Oh, how I would _love_ that, but I think not." A dark and sly smirk curled on Pegasus' face.

She raised her chin. "Why not?"

"Because you'd _lose_ , Kisara dear. In doing so would make you my newest captive in the shadow realm, and I think that you being on Earth would suit your tastes better, now wouldn't it?"

The woman squared her shoulders, and Seto thought it reminded him of a time he couldn't discern. _Who the hell are you, Kisara Pegasus?_

"If I lose my soul by fighting in this war, then so be it." Her voice was level, even, but defiant. "Because whether you like it or not, father, the Triumvirate is back, and they will throw you off that forsaken throne of yours one way or another."

"Although you make good speeches, dear, I simply cannot allow for your request to be granted. You're far too valuable to me alive than dead to the world anyway. Besides..." He paused to smile, an edge to it that bordered on insane. "Seeing them duel is simply far too entertaining! The struggle! The power! Even I cannot spare them of such an opportunity!"

She barreled towards her father. Her breaths were calm and subdued, but fell with old resentment. Grabbing at his collar, she forced him down to eye level, but Pegasus merely smiled as she muttered, "You know exactly what will happen if they duel. You want this. You know, _you know_."

Seto didn't have the slightest spit of understanding about what she was going on about. It was obviously a knowledge shared between the two Pegasus', and Seto watched on as the elder's smile became sharp as steel, a jovial sheer. Snatching at her wrists, he pulled her closer, their faces on the brink of collision, but the girl let him, fearless.

"What is this, Kisara dear?" Pegasus purred. "Do you not believe in him enough to let him challenge your dear brother, hmm? Is that it?"

"You know that isn't the case. I know it's possible. Anything is. But you are making them _enemies_. History cannot change just because you want it to."

"Oh?" he cooed. "Something tells me _your King_ has a lot more fire and ambition than you know, Kisara dear. He's always been resourceful, right? And you hardly know the current one as well as you think you do. He's not quite as kindhearted as you knew him to be. He'll start a war because he _wants_ to, Kisara dear."

Impatient, underslept, and thrumming with anxiety, Seto finally hissed, "If your father-daughter spat is through, I would like to _get onto business here_."

"But, Seto," she tried, her hands falling from Pegasus' collar. "You don't understand the consequences…"

"I understand _well enough_." A vague truth, but it didn't matter. The two were rambling about some irrelevant nonsense about kings and Pharaohs when he had more imminent matters to discuss and people to ruin and dethrone. And his little brother….

At their retorts, Pegasus presumed to laugh with all the hapless merriment only a deranged psychopath could. "Oh, yes, the King and Queen of Dragons," he entitled. "How ironic to see them at odds with one another." He smiled, and Seto was frozen over, chilled into the depths of memory, but all that he witnessed was an expanse of purest white, and echoes of a lulling song from girl he could never see—"If only you knew what she meant to you. Although, I do enjoy that expression of hers when she looks at you now. How _amusing_."

Seto sucked in a breath, snapping his gaze to the girl. Blue. White. Everything in between. Shades upon shades of every known hue of opal and sapphire, but memories refused to descend, confusing him more. Down, down, down he went, but all he saw was white. He didn't know this girl, not really. She meant nothing. But some distant trace of thought skittered at the corner of his consciousness...

A veil of blackness wrenched him into the present.

Pegasus thrust his daughter away, and the girl nearly fell into Seto, but she caught her footing before he had to.

"So what will it be, Seto Kaiba?" Pegasus flashed that same card as before, Mokuba's face imprinted on the front, as if attempting to break through the paint itself. Primal rage thrashed in his blood. Something in the past gnawed at his soul. Soul. And. Stone. _Egypt_. "So lifelike…" Pegasus continued, purring. "But you probably preferred him in the flesh, didn't you?"

Seto bristled, " _You're not human_." Absently, he realized he was shaking.

"Quite human actually, just extraordinary gifted." Throwing a handful of metallic star chips in his direction, they skittered on the floor. Beside him, the girl looked like she wanted to throw up.

"Why are you doing this?" It was Kisara Pegasus who'd spoken, but somehow Seto knew it was a question that spanned more time than in recent years.

The elder Pegasus spared a sneering glance at his only daughter. "Maybe I just enjoy the constant tug of war between him and Yamiboy. Or maybe I want something you're _incapable_ of comprehending, dear Kisara."

"Talk straight!" He'd had enough of the fantasy talk, of the ceaseless ramblings about subjects _just not there_. " _What do you want?_ "

" _Want_?" Pegasus breathed the word in mock wonder. "I _want_ to see if you're capable of beating Yami in a duel, and only if you crush him in an humiliating defeat will you get the opportunity to duel _me_. Then, and only then, if you manage to beat me will I return your brother's soul."

"You're not my father," Kisara said suddenly, quietly, yet gripping. She then knelt to the floor to pick up the forsaken stars at their feet. "You are not the father I know from the past."

Pegasus didn't seem to care in the slightest. He merely took the words in, before he addressed Seto. "Anywho, Kaibaboy, I do hope to see you soon." That same sneer cut along the edges of his face. "May the Gods be with you, _as they always have_."

.

Looking down, Kisara Pegasus knew that there were a thousand steps between Seto and Yami. Literally. Some hundred feet beneath them were the animated figures of Yami, Yugi, and several reincarnated allies of the Millennium Court. And they were all ascending the steeping staircase in good time.

They were heading straight for an enemy hell-bent on destroying Yami Muto and the monsters that laid patiently in wait behind their shadows.

"This isn't right," she said quietly.

"Why are you still here?"

She jumped, having realized the man at her side had snapped at her. Casting a glance at Seto Kaiba, she found him staring her down, arms crossed and hips set forward. His entire profile screamed defensive. Although there was no animosity in his gaze, there was a type of distrust that made her frown. What should she say? It was obvious he didn't remember their past, so what should she say, or do, to form at least a portion of trust between them?

"I'm here because—" She stopped herself, and realized what she actually wanted to say. Regaining the confidence she usually honed, she smiled at Seto. "I'm here because I want to be." It was the complete truth, but the words went beyond skin deep. They included the desire to fulfill a destiny written by the Gods themselves, and create a love she hoped would someday prosper. But for now, she'd take it step by step. Staying by his side was a start.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked, not quite sharply.

Perhaps because it was in her nature, perhaps because they both needed a spec of hope in their otherwise dark situation, Kisara's smile brightened to a defining degree. "You can take it however you'd like."

Silently, almost knowingly, he sized her up. "Don't be cryptic," he spat after a pause. "What do you want with me?"

She answered, true and pure, "I want to help you succeed in your ventures, Seto."

His mouth twitched into a snarl at the mention of his first name. "Why would anyone, especially a Pegasus want to help me? You helped even Mokuba. Why?"

She sighed at his lack of understanding, and blanketed her kind smile. Shifting from foot to foot, she found herself crossing her arms and clashing her lips to one side. Clearly he didn't understand that she solely wanted to help, so she changed her strategy.

"I am sick and tired of my father's means of getting what he wants," Kisara explained, genuine yet factual in her intentions. "Unlike him, I actually have morals and a keen sense of respect for people and humanities. I would've preferred to have kept you as an ally, Seto Kaiba. Instead, my father has resorted to making an enemy of you and ruined Industrial Illusions' good name. _That being said_ …" She paused, and graced him with a pretty smile meant only for him. "I also want to help _you_ , Seto. This is about more than just simple business to me. I want that to be known. Securing Industrial Illusions in a positive light in KaibaCorp's eyes is second to your safety, and to you in general."

"You're dodging the question." His stare could've cut clean through steel. "You say you want to help me. Not KaibaCorp. _Me_."

Unexpectedly, a laugh bubbled from her throat. "What do you want me to say?" she asked, arms splayed in an attempt to draw out her query. "You seem to like blunt words, so fine, I'll say it like this: _I like you_. There. Happy?"

"You like me." The words sounded like poison.

"Yes."

He took a step closer, his height dominating hers by an entire foot. "I told you not to play games, _Pegasus._ "

Kisara nearly flinched at the abrupt loss in familiarity. But rather than show weakness to a man whom she knew would revel in her fear, she stood tall, biting back against lesser emotions that could possibly kill whatever semblance of respect resonated between them.

"I'm not heartless, Seto. I am not my father, and I want you to trust me. That's all. This is just about _you and me_." He wouldn't believe what else she fought for. Not yet.

Fringes of faint recognition floated in those cobalt orbs, before his stance slackened. But still defensive.

"You helped Mokuba," he acknowledged. "When this is over, I'll owe you a favor. But _that's it_."

"But Seto—"

The walls slammed shut. " _Don't call me that._ " He paused abruptly, then fell into the corridors of his mind. It was a place she couldn't reach. "We have company," he announced, his temper changing drastically into a quiet, grim determination.

His voice was then lost to the wind swirling around them, instinctively pulling them closer. It was an odd little aspect of the world she'd soon come to find would happen more than she'd ever expect.

Trying to stay on the positive, Kisara reasoned that he did trust her a bit. He did know she'd helped in his brother's initial escape, and she'd outright defied her father, albeit in a way that was probably enigmatic and relatively nonsensical to him. He probably didn't understand who she was horrified by at the idea of dueling Yami. No, scratch that. It was _obvious_ he didn't understand. Even more, he clearly didn't see what they could have together…

In the past, the Pharaoh and Priest Set had never been put up against one another as enemies. They'd spar and duel and race and compete over every little game imaginable as uncontested rivals, but never had the two princes done so in a manner such as what was to come. To be the variable between them and facing her father was a prospect that gnawed at her conscious every second. In the past, they'd never competed as enemies.

But now… If either prince wanted to pass through the castle gates and challenge the Creator of Duel Monsters, they'd have to duel one another. And this was no longer about titles and pride, about greed and power, or even a competitive rivalry. When it came to this upcoming duel, it was all about saving the souls of those they loved. Nothing else mattered. It would burn in their bones, she knew. This duel would mean everything to both of them. The fact that they were the greatest duelists in the world just heightened the dramatics, but amid the throes of war their rankings were mere afterthoughts. There would be no holding back, and Kisara was well aware of the passion flowing through both princes.

It would be a match to decide life or death.

But there was nothing to be done. Seto was determined. And if she knew Yami like she thought she did, he would be too.

Watching the sky, she contemplated that contrasts between the oceanic hue of the horizon and the fluttering tints within the clouds. Dreams rolled along with the breeze, and Kisara closed her eyes and took a breath to calm herself. Letting the world wash away her fears, she called to the Gods themselves for enlightenment and victory over the princes' common enemy.

When she opened her eyes, the the Pharaoh's gaze was suddenly there, gleaming a valiant crimson that radiated knowledge and power. Even more, on his neck lied the Millennium Puzzle. Emotions clawed their way up her throat, a binding thickness that sprung to her crystalline orbs in a fiery inferno. He was here. Alive. And utterly real.

Seeing him in video feeds was different than now, where she could see the subtle differences in his figure and face. The reality of her situation, of their bond, almost caused her to drop down to one knee right then and there, and proclaim her allegiance to his court. A bittersweet stab flickered in her chest, but she smiled through it, and let the wind remove her tears before they fell.

At her side, Seto glared. She hadn't expected any less.

Halfway up the stairs, she heard a shout of astonishment. "Is dat Kaiba?" Definitely Jou. The rest of the reincarnates' shock fell from muffled lips, the words beyond her comprehension.

It was then that Yami's gaze flicked to Seto's, and Kisara instantly felt the sudden influx of magic surround them. It cloaked the area, and the scent of metal rattled her nostrils. Through the universe's connections, a variety of waves buzzed in a dissonant collision of souls that clashed in a blatant battle of wills, and a vast variety of colors erupted from the space between realms, painting their connections in prismatic hues. It was incredible and disorienting all at once. Although she knew it was entirely unintentional, she hadn't felt anything like this since—since… Egypt.

Eternally austere, Seto stated, "I can't let you pass, Yami."

Yami stopped, his natural expression that of severe determination. "I already won ten star chips, Kaiba. On what authority do you think you can keep me here?"

"I suppose you can say, it's on _her_ authority." He shrugged a single sounder in Kisara's direction.

The younger Pegasus's spine straightened, startled and a bit offended to be used in such a fashion. As if she'd been the one to commission this treasonous duel. _Her father_ had done it. Nevertheless, she would argued in Seto's favor, descending the few steps to reach Yami's 'group'. The infamous rag-tag team and undoubted allies of the Pharaoh surrounded her, all watching her warily. In the back, she noticed a twin series of white hair before locking gazes with the one who she'd grown to know well in her past life. Her skin prickled upon sight, instantly identifying who he was.

Bakura. The Thief King. It wasn't surprising that he'd be here. Like the Triumvirate, (Set, The Pharaoh, and Yugi), he'd been one of the few to hold the winds of change and decide the fate of Ancient Egypt. And just as she remembered, that same, sharp sneer cut along the edges of his smile, devious yet wholly genius. Inspecting him further, she located the Millennium Ring resting along the edges of his chest, gleaming from the sun's fearsome glare. Briefly she wondered how he'd come to obtain it in this time, but she moved her thoughts in another direction. Clearly he wasn't posed as a threat to the Pharaoh, yet. Although the connection between his and Yami's was fractured and ridged, there was no obvious blood between them. Significant loathing, yes, but not like what it had once been.

Kisara fastened a final eye in the Thief King's direction, before pivoting her attention to Yami Muto. Stance collected, yet tense and ready for anything. Strictly impassive was his expression, yet he seemed to be holding himself at the edge of impassioned glory. The Pharaoh always had been a walking constellation of controversies, and apparently that same demeanor flowed into his reincarnate.

Kisara lifted her lips into a grand smile, despite all the horrors committed around them. "My Pharaoh," she greeted. "It is an honor to finally be in your presence." She placed a single hand above her heart, and bowed to him at hip-length. The unrestrained respect and reciting of his secret title showed. The current members of his court were all drawn back a step in their shock, muttering personal queries to themselves. When she regained her height, she spoke to Yami again, "I only wish the circumstances of our meeting could've been better. Nevertheless, I am overjoyed to finally meet you. I am Kisara Pegasus, and if you will, I would be very pleased if you'd call me by name, my Pharaoh."

Yami raised his chin, staying composed even while the rest of his court didn't. "You address me as Pharaoh. Why?"

"Does it matta'?" Jou asked out of the blue, stepping in front of Yami. He sized her up, and Kisara granted him a small smile in return. "Da girl is da daughter of a crazy psychopath. Who's ta say she's not like her father?"

Kisara was about to interject, when Anzu stepped in. "And who's to say she is? I mean come on, Jou, not everyone is out to get us. You're just being rude." She then grabbed the natural blonde by the ear, and tugged him away from Kisara before she could get another word in.

Once again, Yami was in front of her, but at his side was his younger brother who was already in possession of the Millennium Key. _Yugi_ … Although small and petite, this little prince had been widely revered throughout Ancient Egypt for his sway over shadow creatures, and understanding compassion for all. He was the light to Yami's dark, and the two twins had always balanced the scale of one another's banes and boons. Together, alongside Set, they had done extraordinary things.

"You'll have to forgive, Jou," Yugi said. "He's been on edge the entire tournament. Then again, all of us have." Although his words were soft and cordial, the mistrust was thinly veiled by his sheepish laughter.

Kisara's smile became rueful. "He has nothing to apologize for. The animosity towards my father is strong, but it's understandable. He took the soul of your grandfather, and has given you plenty of trials already. What he's done are not venial crimes, my Prince. If anything, I should receive your distrust and apprehension. It's only smart."

It pained her to admit, but it was true.

Yami waved a hand to get her attention thereafter, before crossing his arms. "Although I am curious as to why Kaiba is standing in my way..." He spared a analytical glance at his rival. "For now I would prefer if you'd explain your reasoning for referring to Yugi and myself as Egyptian royalty."

Blunt, yet practiced. She managed the tinkling of a giggle, before placing her forefinger over her lips, and imparting him with one of her signature winks. "I'm afraid that information is for another day. Instead of discussing of the past, I believe you have someone to speak with, my Pharaoh."

Yami looked ready to argue, but another voice cut him off, one that was familiar, yet tinged by a British accent. " _Pharaoh_ , was it?" The voice then presumed to laugh with reckless abandon and rotten mockery. "The day he's revered as _the Pharaoh_ is the day I become a fucking Prime Minister." Bakura.

"Hey, Bakura, stop. Yami doesn't deserve this behavior, and you know it." Soft and combative. His twin. Like Yami and Yugi, this duo was a contrasting swirl of ideals and differences, but balanced one another just as well. Kisara believed his name was Ryou.

Yami wasn't immediately taken from his cool by the flippant comment, but his jawline tightened.

Bakura whirled on his twin, but was also cut off by a far harder, colder, and feral voice than his own. Seto Kaiba. "If you're all done _rambling_ about your pathetic titles, and _actually_ pay attention to your enemies, Yami, you might actually have a chance of beating me again, but seeing as you're taking me so lightly, you won't be able to understand why I'm _even here at all_."

The wind rustled in her ears, the silence deafening. Everything in motion stopped to listen to the KaibaCorp CEO. And here she was _just_ about to get to Seto's involvement in all this, and explain her father's proposal...

"Then why are you really here, Kaiba?" Yami asked amid the quiet.

"Yami," he began. "You said you won our duel by tapping into the Heart of the Cards, and for a long time I didn't know what that meant. But now, I think I do. It took Pegasus to show me; he gave me reason to place my heart in the cards." Kisara's brows rose to her hairline, hearing the ardent truth of his words. Seto clicked open the locket normally kept within the folds of his jacket, tracing the lines of whatever laid within, before letting it fall to his chest once more. "For the first time," he continued. "I can play with fire in my game."

Yami blinked, awed. "I can feel it." So did Kisara. Seto's connection pulsed with renewed vigor in the shades of the universe.

"I want a rematch, Yami," Seto added, his voice a desperate hiss. "Pegasus only gave me one chance to enter the castle, so let me duel you for the right reasons."

There was a visual pause in Yami's stance, and Kisara bore witness to the change.

"Ya know you don't have to do this, Yam," Jou attempted snootily. "Kaiba hardly deserves it."

"For once, Jou's right," Bakura allowed. "But it would be a stab to your reputation to refuse an opponent, especially Seto Kaiba, _Pharaoh_."

Yami's lips twitched, but he didn't retort. It took a moment, but then Yugi rested a hand on his twin's shoulder, shaking the elder Muto out of whatever world his thoughts took him. "This is your decision, Yami. You get to decide your fate, but you also get to decide Kaiba's. What will you do?" Perhaps because it was in his nature to do so, perhaps because it was the Millennium Key's influences, Yugi left his brother with a philosophical quandary. Had it been any other decision, Kisara would've smiled, but not in these circumstances.

Finally, Yami nodded to his twin, a slight upturn to his lips. "Fine, Kaiba!" he declared. "I accept your challenge. Just name the place, and we'll duel."

.

Kisara had the urge to bite her nails. It was not a very common habit of hers, but it showed when her nerves acted against her better judgement. Graciously however, she refrained for the sake of her dignity. Such behavior from a queen, even a reincarnated one, wasn't how she wished to present herself. Especially in front of the Pharaoh's court. Nevertheless, she was concerned for both Yami and Seto. This duel wasn't going to played nicely, that was much was certain.

As it was, the two princes of Egypt stood across from one another on a raised tower high above the castle, and was each poised and prepared for whatever would be thrown in their direction. Kisara was among the Pharaoh's court, standing at the front and center of them all. Mainly because she was the smallest, other than Yugi who was situated to her left.

"Alright, Kaiba," the Pharaoh announced. "It's time to duel."

They both set their life points at at two-thousand, and placed their respective decks in the card holder of Seto's new duel-disk prototype system. Thus began began an infamous sight, the Pharaoh versus his Priest.

"In echoes we survive… In shadow we fall. In daylight we reign."

It was as if the Universe had paused on its axis. She knew that voice! She remembered the first time she'd heard it.

 _"When left unchecked or placed in the wrong hands, the items crave power, my Queen._ "

"My Queen," he addressed, then bowed his head. "Do you know who once spoke those words?"

Kisara was left speechless as the form of a man literally materialized out of thin air. Dark skin was surrounded by sunbleached robes, ancient in design, and transparent at the edges. A spiral turban was wrapped above his head, adorned loosely, and nearly covered his eyebrows. Pupilless, oceanic orbs were aimed in her direction too. Recognition came instantly. Her father had a portrait of him in their dining hall, but never had explained who the mysterious man was.

"My incarnate spoke those words…" Kisara answered incredulously, trying to keep her voice low. It was obvious that no one else saw the man standing there, for they gave no indication of noticing his presence. Instead, the court spoke among themselves, ignoring her completely. "But who are you?"

"My name is Shadi, my Queen, Spirit and Protector of the Millennium Items. For now, only you and one other can see me. I came here to warm you of what may come to pass by enacting this duel, and to watch over the princes, for as you know, the Pharaoh and his Priest were never meant to compete in such a fashion."

"What do you mean?" Brows furrowed, Kisara observed the scene with even more growing trepidation than before.

Shadi raised a hand to the sky. "You see the connections between souls just as well as I do, my Queen, just as the Millennium Court will someday be able to do. Tell me, what do you see?"

It was just as before, but worse. Their interconnective threads toiled and glowed, but they were streaky and bellicose in nature, a definite outline of capricious emotions. "I see rage," Kisara answered slowly. " I see ambition, rancor, exhaustion, but most of all, I see desperation."

"Indeed. That desperation is what will drive them, my Queen. That desperation could perhaps invoke something long forgotten, something they are not yet prepared for."

"What are you trying to say?" Her stomach dropped.

"My Queen, I'm saying that you must be prepared to stop this duel before they go down a path of no return."

To put it lightly, the duelists were aggressive in their moves. The Pharaoh was consistently counteracting Seto, who was desperately trying to keep pace in the match by utilizing every safety in his deck, and defeat Yami as quickly as he was able. It was unusual to see the incorrigible Seto Kaiba act in such a way, but Kisara was slightly proud to witness his hard work, despite the situation at hand. Finally, Seto activated an infamously rare trap card, the Crush Virus, which led to the destruction of many of Yami's favored monsters, therefore forcing him to use his adorably indignant Kuriboh, whom Seto had initially laughed at. But before that, Seto had drawn the final Blue Eyes White Dragon, coordinating the trio into the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon via Polymerization. To say that nostalgia bit at her heart was an understatement, but so did a fraction of misery. The fourth Blue Eyes was lost to existence.

Following the addition of Kuriboh, Yami used the spell Multiply to infinitely increase and _multiply_ the number of Kuribohs on the field, obtaining the ultimate defense against the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. He attacked continuously, but the result remained the same. Terror gnawed at her soul, but she could only stand there.

Useless.

She'd never been good at just standing around.

Kisara's heart soared and mixed as sorrow and festering abhorition, building and ascending into something beyond comprehension. Something… Exordium.

It was as the Pharaoh fused the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon with Mammoth Graveyard that what Shadi foretold came to life.

But it started with her.

.

Seto Kaiba saw black. And blue. And white. Everything else was lost to the depths of his subconscious as he fought demons inside and out. Mokuba calling out to him, swallowed to the muck and decay of the Blue Eyes. His own younger self screaming at him that he'd done wrong and worse and wrought his own end. The sickening look of his dragons as they crumbled to dust both inside and out. Himself descending into the dark, a place that'd he'd always forsook at the back of his mind.

Meeting the grounds of his thought smacked him into the present. Seto swallowed. The field was tattered with silence, lethal silence. He had one move to go before they, his dragons, were gone for good. It was something he couldn't watch.

With that revolting Mammoth Graveyard infused with his Blue Eyes', his dragons were deteriorating every second, their attack points descending enough for Yami Muto to take him out in one last offensive move on his next turn…

"Yami," he ground out. "It _can't_ end this way. If I don't win this duel, Pegasus will keep Mokuba prisoner, forever." He wasn't sure what he was saying, but it was true. it bounded around, compelling him to know. To acknowledge-"I can't let that happen, and even though I don't have a single card in my deck that can keep you from attacking, I think I still have a strategy that'll stop you in your tracks."

His Pharaoh's eyes narrowed into finite silts. "What do you mean?"

"I'm going to force your hand, and with this battle."

Seto Kaiba was retreating to the edge of the castle tower, teetering precariously on a more stones than he knew existed. More lives than he knew imaginable. His feet didn't cease their movement until he stepped out onto the ledge. Wind rattled his coattails, and a chilling gale brought pins to ripple down his spine. Below, only defeat echoed his name. He kept his gaze elsewhere.

"Kaiba!" The Pharaoh called. Somehow Seto knew that was what he was known as. Perhaps this was what that girl, the younger Pegasus, had been rambling about with her father. Kings and Queens and monarchical nonsense. "Stop this!"

"The real game _starts now_ ," Seto announced fearlessly. " _Your move_ , Yami." It was a dare. A englid dare, that if proven right, would win him the duel. He was willing to risk it all for his brother. His sun. His horizon. "You can attack my Blue Eyes White Dragon and wipe out my remaining life-points, but the resulting shockwaves might cause me to lose my balance."

"Don't _tempt_ me!" Yami snarled back. Remnants of some distant memory thrashed through Seto's mind before he could help it. Sandy dunes and crimson stains and the clash of shadows.

"My fate is completely in your hands, Yami," Seto said. He was rambling, he knew. Lost in words that barely had any meaning to him, really. "You'll decide this duel one way or another. Of course, if you don't surrender, I might be… 'Hurt'. You wouldn't want that, _would you_?"

"I'm warning you, Kaiba, don't push me too far. I _must_ win this duel to rescue my grandfather!"

"And I must win this duel to rescue Mokuba," he retorted. "The difference is I'm willing to risk anything to do it. You know I can stand here all day, Yami, and I'm certain you won't make any attack for fear that you might knock me off, even though you know, by not attacking, you give up the only chance you have of saving your grandpa…" It was a regrettable fact, Seto would admit, but regret had never stopped him before. "Which means," he continued. "I have the advantage over you, for in my case, there's _nothing holding me back_." He slowly drew a card from his deck, and it glowed at the edge of his fingertips. "Reborn the Monster," he read quietly. It was the only way. The only path. "Which I'll use to resurrect the Blue Eyes's head that was just destroyed by your Guardian."

"What?" Yami breathed. "Restore a head of the Blue Eyes?"

As so he did. Within the rot and grime of his forsaken dragons, a single Blue Eyes was revived and brought back to life. He could never repay them for their sacrifice. For their lives being vanquished in such a way.

"Our life points are equal." Between him and Yami was some thousand Kuriboh bodies and a single Celtic Guardian, but the distance seemed to stretch far longer. Into eternity. "Strike now," Seto taunted. " _If you dare_. Otherwise next turn, _I swear I'll take you down._ "

.

"This is a predicament," Shadi whispered urgently, ever vigilant. "My Queen, what will you do?"

His Queen on the other hand, barely heard a scrap of what the Millennium Spirit had said. Fists were clenched and fuming, coiling deeper and deeper into untempered fury. Connections buzzed around her, awake and alive and raring. The Pharaoh's court couldn't help but move away from her. Finally, her draconian rage burst from her vocal cords in a single accusation.

"YOU IDIOT!" Kisara thundered.

The wind throttled her voice across the distance, thrashing into the two princes. Both visibly flinched at her tone, although her burning gaze was latched and prepared to _decimate_ Seto Kaiba. Burning rage flickered off her fingers in sparks of electricity, the powers of Mizu, her Blue Eyes Shining Dragon. Emotions flared in her gut, both horror and fear, yet concentrated in a boiling inferno of animosity.

"Do you _honestly_ think I'm just going to stand by why you try and _kill yourself_?" she snapped, shaken out of control, yet positively focused. Muscles taut, teeth biting, footsteps hard enough to shatter stone. Power steamed off her, pieces of the past awakening for the first time. Unbeknownst to her, she radiated a glow of faint blue.

Seto's nostrils flared, and he openly glared at her, floored. "You have no right—!"

" _Like Hell I don't!_ " Kisara retorted, storming towards him. Finally, she stood before him, but before he could say anything else, she grabbed him by the lapels, and yanked him down to her level. He grunted at the sudden thrust, but the moment his feet hit stone and regained his bearings, he pushed her away. Or tried to. She didn't move an inch.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" he snarled, and in her face. "This has _nothing to do with you!_ "

"This has _everything_ to do with me!" she slapped right back, undeterred. She stabbed her finger into his chest, and his glare intensified. A shot of electricity clashed though both of them. Known. "I _am not_ about to watch you do something you'll regret."

Swarths of emotions flared between them, and this time, Seto felt it. Something hot thrummed through his blood, and he saw red. He didn't know what it was, but he knew he _liked_ it. Quick as light itself, he shoved the girl away. She cried out, falling some three meters away. She landed hard on her stomach, and an expanse of white tendrils slithered down her back and knees. _Her hair_ , he thought absently. _Beautiful_. Flashes of crimson bled down her legs from the scratching the stone. As if realizing what he'd done to her, her head shot in his direction. Visible astonishment and hurt glazed those orbs, who Seto suddenly realized were a pair of blatant _sapphire_. His throat went dry. _Sapphire_.

 _Who are you, Kisara Pegasus?!_

Struck, yet pulsing with newfound energy, Seto Kaiba closed his eyes. The world was roaring around him, but the wind pushed him onward. Forward. Towards his goal. His horizon. His brother.

He lifted his eyes once more, exacting his fear and blood and power on the one who dared stand in his way. "Surrender, Yami!" Seto demanded again, closing his thoughts away from anything else. He repositioned himself upon the stone ledge, holding his arms out in an attempt to clarify his indomitable presage, and to mock the pipsqueak into killing him. "Unless you have the courage to unleash your attack," he spat out.

In the air, their connections—Kisara only then recalled they were known as _heartstrings_ — flushed through them all. Friction was palpable, grating against one another in streaking lines. It was raw, unsuppressed energy, fueled solely by everyone's escalating emotions. In Kisara's head, their connective heartstrings rang and tolled with astronomical propulsion. Their powers were _awakening_.

Yami—who obviously felt something no one else did—seemed to grapple with newfound frustration, and he grasped at his forehead, fighting past some demon, some _thing_ that stopped him from finding the words, and the means, to combat his greatest rival. The Pharaoh looked positively grief-stricken and lost within himself. Rasping for breath, he wavered on his feet. His friends called out to him, but he didn't seem to hear. Blearily, as though clutching for some core inside himself for strength, his hand located the Millennium Puzzle. Upon contact, the world rang with silence, as if trapped in the eye of a storm.

 _My Pharaoh, Oh, Gods… What did you find?!_

The Pharaoh's footing regained composure, and his stance straightened. Crimson radiated off his body, erupting from his awakened soul, and once again his heartstrings clanged. Bile rose in Kisara's throat. _Oh, Gods..!_

The princes were far from through. Her intervention had brought along a warmonger of recollection and renewal, and neither of them understood what they were utilizing. And Seto, even without his Millennium Rod was _undulating_. Their power over shadows and monsters had returned, and her interference had unlocked the door.

"The Pharaoh and his Priest have unleashed a catastrophe, my Queen," Shadi informed her, once again materializing from thin air. "They are not yet ready for this to transpire. It is far too soon."

She didn't care to question the fact that he'd mentioned another person, because watching the two princes caused Kisara's fear to spike. This was transforming into a war, and it would turn into something much worse if she didn't act quickly. The two were high on powers they didn't understand, couldn't control.

"This has to be stopped," she whispered.

"Kaiba!" Yami called, sounding like the king he didn't know he once was. "I've never backed down, and I'm not starting now! Celtic Guardian! ATTACK!"

NO!

She was _not_ about to let this happen. Scampering to her feet, she lunged for Seto.

NO.

The Celtic Guardian struck. Seto expression hardened. Ready to fall. The glow of his magic retreated into the shadows.

Gone.

Lost.

He was prepared to _die_.

No!

The Blue Eyes White Dragons exploded. Light shattered in all directions, slicing her skin in actual time. She found Seto amid the chaos, and he stared at her with something he didn't know remained behind some thousand years worth of devotion. Tears skitted at the edge of her cheeks, and a lamentable smile lit up her face upon seeing him.

She reached for him, grasping at his coat and his body, and embraced him with all she had. An electric shock clattered between them upon contact, sizzling and beginning to rise from the ashes of forgotten centuries. Rebirth. His breath hitched alongside the nape of her neck, whispering sweet nothings along the concave of her back.

 _No._

Impact and tangible force throttled them off the roof. Together, they fell off the edge.

An earth-shattering scream vibrated off their connective heartstrings, shrieking for Yami _to stop_ , but it wasn't Kisara, it was someone else entirely. Her vision blurred from the sheer intensity of it. Stowing the pain away, she found a pair of frozen, disbelieving, shocked cobalt that she locked gazes with. There, she found solace.

Wind ripped at them, and she dug her nails into the cloth of his back, pulling him closer before she thrust her hand into a void, snatching at a card hidden in the shadows of the castle dungeons. Then she slammed it onto Seto's duel disk. A colossal roar bellowed above their heads, but Kisara was too busy to care.

They were still falling, descending to their deaths from a castle tower that had never been home. Her home lied elsewhere. And she knew exactly where to find it.

Knowing what else needed to be done, she grabbed onto Mizu's heartstring and grasped onto it for the life of her.

The Blue Eyes Shining Dragon answered as if in wait.

Instantly, a warmth spread through her bones in a waking euphoria of gleaming light. She moaned against Seto's chest, her nails digging into his back, and sharp enough to cleave through skin. She felt him tense, but it didn't matter.

Wings, sharp and blazing erupted from her shoulder-blades, glittering from unseen stars and were coated with serpentine scales derived Mizu's shining hide. The two draconian monarchs were then snapped upward so fast Kisara was momentarily dazed, but the searing heartstring between her and Mizu woke her in seconds. Gasping for breath, she encouraged her wings to fly, and _thank the Gods_ they did. It was only two seconds before they landed hard on the rooftop, smoke still perpetrating the dueling field.

Both Seto and herself were wide-eyed and still high on adrenaline. With a last effort, Kisara let the heartstring between her and Mizu fade back into the trenches of the universe, allowing the dazzling wings to retreat to wherever they came. They both fell flat on their chests, the wind getting knocked out of them.

Seto didn't stay still for long. Only seconds past before he snatched at the his duel disk still strapped to his wrist, as if just remembering what he'd been doing before she'd saved his life. She doubted he'd even believe what she'd done anyway.

" _What_?" he lashed out, raspy, yet furious with suspicion. "How? My life-points are still at 500." He searched in all directions for the apparent cause of his victory. With the smoke, it was impossible, but he stilled, and fixed his glare right on her. " _You_."

"What the hell did you do?" he demanded. " _Tell me_."

For whatever it was worth, a laugh bubbled up from her , he didn't care how she'd saved his life, the duel was more important to him. _Of course._

Having regained her composure, she smiled a bit, and she pointed a weary finger at his duel disk. Enlightening him, she said, "I activated my Blue Eyes Shining Dragon's second special ability. My father added it after I turned eight, saying it would help in the future. I hadn't expected it to be used in a situation like this."

Back then, it was as if her father had foreseen what he'd eventually become. He'd orchestrated a number of covert projects, as if to assure some portion of himself remained sane and untouched by whatever magic rested in the Millennium Eye. Then he'd added the special ability to her favorite card, which read, 'When a 'Blue Eyes' is about to be destroyed on any player's field, one can automatically summon the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon from any deck onto the field as a shield, and also activate its first special ability: to destroy any monster chosen by the one who activated the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon'. The resulting damage had done a number on Yami's life-points, therefore winning Seto the duel.

He knew the cards just as well as she did, and she could tell he was assessing and reorganizing his memories to adequately comprehend what she'd done. To revisit the scene in his own mind.

Slowly, oh, so, slowly, his shoulders slumped. Acceptance. "You weird, girl" he said at last. "You were telling the truth."

Her expression softened. "To you? Always."

Blues mixed with white, and out of the shadows, a bridge connected between their individual heartstrings. A gasp erupted from her lips, and in that moment Kisara wanted to laugh until she cried. It was a beautiful thread that glowed in the faintness of the universe. She'd saved him, and he knew it. Won him the duel too. The heartstring confirmed his inner contemplations in a metaphysical representation meant for her to see for the first time in forever.

"Seto," she whispered, seeing something that he couldn't yet even imagine. Not without his memories. Not without accepting his powers over duel monsters and the supernatural world itself.

The King of Dragons just continued to stare at her. It was obvious he didn't know what to think.

He dragged her to her feet before she could protest. Drained from the massive use of power, Kisara's bit back a cry, her knees wobbling. Unintentionally, she staggered into Seto Kaiba. The bridge between them glowed beyond their physical bodies, and she wandered in the wonders within space and time and magic.

The smoke still kept them out of reach from the other side of the field.

"You won me this duel," he stated, leading her into the present. "I'm not sure how the hell you got us back on the roof, but it doesn't matter. You won me this duel." They weren't touching, but Kisara could see the slight angularities of his Japanese eyes. They were so different than Priest Set's. Mesmerizing. Not necessarily gentle, but not cold either. It was a step, she supposed.

She smiled up at him, tired, but always bright. "You're welcome, Seto. It's what I do."

She'd saved the life of Seto Kaiba and assured him his entrance into the castle by playing the ability of her signature card. But the truth was, she hadn't been sure she'd be able to defeat the Pharaoh. The Heart of the Cards usually prevented anyone from tampering with the Chosen Ones, a people set apart from humanity that were blessed with incontestable means to ensuring the path of fate. Yami was one of the Chosen, the infallible King of Games. The title meant more than just being known as a champion, being King of Games meant being a champion. And in more ways than one.

She'd activated her card up as a last ditch effort to end the duel, and to call her dragon into action, thereby activating their connective heartstrings in the strongest way possible. In doing so allowed her to perform another element of dueling that so few were capable of accomplishing. The act itself was known as Honing, which enabled humans to utilize the favored attributes of their duel monsters. Many of the Sacred Guardians Egypt implemented this aspect in their duels in order to fight alongside their monsters. Connective heartstrings gathered attributive energies and created a type of collaborative pathway between souls. But even at the height of the dueling age, a mere handful of humans had been capable of such feats.

Kisara was unbearably relieved that she'd been able to remember it. If she hadn't… She didn't even want to contemplate the alternative.

But for now, she'd revel in the tangibles beyond infinity, with Seto Kaiba at her side.

.

.

.

 **King of Dragons**

 **Author's Note:**

 _I WANT TO MAKE THIS PERFECTLY CLEAR: IN THIS STORY, KISARA IS NOT THE LIVING REPRESENTATION OF THE BLUE EYES._

 _In this story, no one is a living representation of their respective duel monsters. Duel monsters and humans are separate beings entirely. I will further explain what actually transpires in the future, but for now, I have merely gone over one use of heartstrings._

 _I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT PUTTING THE DUEL IN THIS CHAPTER! But it got so long, so I summarized until the necessary points. I'm sorry! Makes ME want to cry. I promise to have Seto's duel versus Pegasus in actual time, not summarized, okay? Anyway…_

 _Hello, all! This was a monster of a chapter, wasn't it? I really hope it's a nice change to the actual plot line, yet an adequate enough description to not be too confusing. If it was, I hope to hear reviews on such. And I'll probably both answer questions in both PM form and via corrections. Mostly, I mean about the heartstrings of the universe. There's a lot of magic in this chapter, I know, so I'm desperately hoping it came out well. And Kisara's bond with Seto has returned! Ha! Oh, and once Yami defeats Pegasus, I'll make sure to have Seto and Kisara's reunion one of both joy and vengeance (Considering the 4th Blue Eyes card and the Industrial Illusions' mainframe incident). Gah, I cannot wait until I can finally write about Battle City either! another ten thousand words to go~! Until next time, lovely readers._

 _Please review! And inform me of errors please._

 _Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


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